American students are returning to college campuses facing unprecedented challenges, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, deepening social inequality, and escalating threats to democratic rights. The article highlights the inadequacy of universities’ responses to the pandemic, focusing on profit-driven reopening plans that prioritize revenue over student and faculty safety. These plans often lack comprehensive testing, contact tracing, and quarantine measures, creating environments ripe for outbreaks.
Beyond the health crisis, the piece emphasizes the economic struggles faced by many students and their families. Tuition costs continue to rise while real wages stagnate, leading to increased student debt. The article connects these financial pressures to the broader crisis of capitalism and the widening gap between the rich and poor.
Furthermore, the article discusses the assault on democratic rights, including the suppression of dissent and the rise of authoritarianism. It criticizes the increasing militarization of campuses and the erosion of academic freedom. In this context, students are urged to take up the struggle for social equality, democratic rights, and international solidarity. It concludes by emphasizing the need for students to unite with workers and other sections of the population to fight for a socialist alternative to capitalism.
find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/08/25/zvyp-a25.html