Why is London burning?

[jawbone]

Originally Posted by pharoahegypt

its happening because this generation of youths just dont give a damn. they know the law is an ass, and most of them will get away, quite literally this time, with daylight robbery..!!! i give up on society......

it comes to something when america cant pay its debts, half of europe is bankrupt, and we've got riots in half the major cities in england...!!!!

you know when your dad used to say "it was better in our day"..... well now i know what the hell he meant..!!!!!

I totally agree it was much better then when I was young - In those days we had real riots (Toxteth, Brixton, St Pauls etc), we invented punk with its anti society themes and gave rise to a song still appropriate today the Specials 'Ghost Town' and the Government proposed cuts to the police force and army were suddenly reversed.

Our modern media and politicians have a lot to learn about creating a moral panic and manufactured outrage.

[BARNPOT]

Originally Posted by jawbone

I totally agree it was much better then when I was young - In those days we had real riots (Toxteth, Brixton, St Pauls etc), we invented punk with its anti society themes and gave rise to a song still appropriate today the Specials 'Ghost Town' and the Government proposed cuts to the police force and army were suddenly reversed.

Our modern media and politicians have a lot to learn about creating a moral panic and manufactured outrage.

They bleat about doing without, being impoverished in this country means not having all sky channels and affording a 15" pizza. This gadget crazed reality TV material ruled fame vanity peer fuelled generation is exactly what we made them. with our "my kids gonna have everything I never had" attitude no wonder its dog eat dog out there when you got kids who havent been out the country and dont even know their own father sat next to a kid at school whose done Disneyland in the summer and off to Australia in the winter Its all fragmented and something had to give. Theres no condoning any of this shit sadly anyone can have kids. Make sure you know where yours are tonight they all lie Peer pressures a muthafucka. WE had Fuck all when we were young but we didnt shit on our own doorstep.

[victor meldrew]

I see all the usual sob stories about being hard done by and the prospect of no employment has led to the current unrest, yet thousands flock here from Europe to work and earn a living. Perhaps these hard done by's want an easy ride, rather than getting off thier backsides and looking for work.

[P37]

One point of note here Mr Duggan was not a youth, he was 29, old enough to know better than to carry a gun. I do not say he deserved to be shot, but he bears a lot of the resopnsability for what happened to him.

[monogroover]

Originally Posted by victor meldrew

I see all the usual sob stories about being hard done by and the prospect of no employment has led to the current unrest, yet thousands flock here from Europe to work and earn a living. Perhaps these hard done by's want an easy ride, rather than getting off thier backsides and looking for work.

The British welfare state must have seemed a lovely idea after the war - people back then must have felt that after the sacrifices they had made for their country, they deserved to have a state that took care of people like a nanny, from cradle to grave.

Well, here are your consequences, Great Britain. Kids brought up with absent fathers on the benefits the state helpfully provides as an incentive for single women to get pregnant, under no familial or social control. Generations of people raised in a culture of entitlement, so that when necessary cuts to public spending and services kick in they feel perfectly justified in taking other people's stuff for themselves.

Add to the mix a general distaste for robust policing and discipline in schools - all of that is terribly, unfashionably illiberal, don't you know that? And the news of the last four days is, eventually, what you get. Well done.

[Ace]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...-riot-yob.html




When Vancouver experienced a riot a few months ago, people used social media to out the criminals, who generally reverted into the whimpering losers that they are.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by NIN

so they believe they are fighting 'The Man' not their own kind.

That's what gets me about these fools, anywhere you find them. They're just fighting and vandalizing themselves.

If they got within a half mile of "the man", they'd find themselves quickly riddled with bullets that aren't made of rubber.

[Puhbear69]

I can't really classify, what's going on in England. But I'm near to agreeing with 'NIN' about the background.

I think it's about the social imbalance, we have Europe. Same in France ~2 years ago, same in Greece actually, same in Spain. The 'social shear' (don't know if that term works in English too) opens more and more - all over the world.

What baffled me because it's irrational - but that seems to be law of nature too - they don't turn against the causers of this situation. They turn against them selfs and people are in an equal situation (sadly) . And against the police they see as representatives for the government and establishment. (Not a nice situation, indeed).

They mostly don't grasp their own situation (too silly or [more friendly] 'not well educated'), else the most would look different.

And it's obviously, that leading politicians having grasped the situation neither.

The rest is easy explained with a group dynamic, we can watch similar after football games ect..

[NIN]

Originally Posted by BARNPOT

... WE had Fuck all when we were young but we didnt shit on our own doorstep.

Very true and i had heard stories through the media of people who claimed it was not even youths from their area - which i am embarrassed to say i thought "oh yeah"

sadly, yesterday I spoke with a couple of people who live in Toxteth in which some limited violence & destruction happened on Monday night (and indeed back in the 80s)

They both independently echoed that observation, that they knew the kids of the area from working in community programmes - and most of the figures did not seem to be local youths.
One guy told me he saw a group on the corner of his Street getting a series of Taxis at 3:30 in the morning. it is well known that football fans may generate similar incidents by wearing the oppositions colours & creating a bad rep for others.

I'm sure it isn't all of them out on a wrecking spree in adjacent areas but it would seem to be a large part of what's been occurring.

as you say BARNPOT , you don't do it on your own doorstep and i wonder how many actually are

[kiwali]

Originally Posted by Puhbear69

I think it's about the social imbalance, we have Europe. Same in France ~2 years ago, same in Greece actually, same in Spain. The 'social shear' (don't know if that term works in English too) opens more and more - all over the world.

If you are comparing 15M-Indignados movement (Spain)with London riots......The spanish are protesting, you could agree with them or not, but they are protesting. Is really diferent from looters and rioters who are "shopping" a new 40" TV and a new pair of trainers. Even in Greece where the protest are more violent, is totally diferent.

I don´t know how works greek police, but in Spain CNP (National Police),Mosos(catalonian police) or Ertzaintza (basque police) wouldn´t be so kind and patient like london police. Since the first moment use water cannons, gun bullets or tear gas, would be normal