London is burning

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNh-fTv1Gm8[/YOUTUBE]
They should hang * like that

 

Dirty *

 

They obviously knew the poetry section is woefully short on progressive modernist lyric...

 

I am a liberal by nature, but seeing that just makes me secretly wish they gave the police machine guns!

Just what i was thinking.....:icon_mrgreen:

 

That's sad.

 

This actually shows how easy society can break down especially if you add in all the other roits that have gone on in other countries lately.

 

That is what you get when certain groups of people have no future and have nothing to lose.

I am a bit surprised to see these things happening in Tottenham though. I lived for a while in North London (Stoke Newington) and I thought it was a pretty ok area.

Nothing compared to Brussels where some areas have turned into real getto's and where the unemployment rate hits 50%. These are no-go zones even for the police and it is certain that we will have more riots here as well.

 

So here we go..

Self proclaimed Liberals, asking for the Police to be issued with machine guns.

Ironic, that what initially kicked this all off, was the Police gunning down a citizen with dum dum bullets.

The people will eventually demand to be further enslaved, what about curfews? Maybe we could stop the public from gathering in groups of 5 or more while we're at it?

Oh yeah, the Police already have machine guns.

 

Punishing these rioters will obviously take them off the streets momentarily, but it will not change anything. Only understanding the deep roots, reasons and causes behind this behaviour will help us to make sure it don’t happen again. And it’s only then that we can work out how to progress so this doesn’t happen again.

These rioters/looters/thugs whatever you want to call them didn’t just suddenly appear from another planet, they have grown up in this system and have been deluded enough by this system to think that this kind of destructive behaviour is ‘ok’ and even ‘worthwhile’. Why?

These people feel so disconnected from their communities that they have no sense of belonging, no sense of pride for their surroundings or others around them. And this is a state of mind that has been compounded through recent generations having no purposeful contact with their community. The latest government cuts to youth clubs and the other few remaining ties people have had with their communities have driven this in.
These are the people in our society that have been continually ostracised by those around them, only given support from other equally ostracised people and therefor form gangs. Everyone in these gangs coming from a similar background, so a sense of no respect for other people or their property takes hold.
This is not a party political problem.
This is a problem with its routes lying deep in our social system.

The gap between the poor and the rich is getting bigger every day.
The lack of democracy is increasing everyday.
Unemployment is rising everyday.
Our education and health system is being drained of all funding so we can instead bomb people in far off lands, people who have their own problems.

This rioting behaviour needs to be combated carefully, thoroughly and thoughtfully. The answer lies not with more police, more laws, more fear and certainly not with the army; it needs to be combatted with
more democracy,
more equality,
more education,
more community!
Now i hope Cameron will be returning from sunning himself in Tuscany this morning to offer similar solutions, but the realist in me is thinking it will be…
the continuing criminalisation of protest (as the media begins to blur peaceful protest with thuggery)
increased media fear mongering,
i.d. cards, asbos, DNA databases,
more ostracism, more racism, more fascism.

Our hearts go out to those robbed, hurt, and those that had property destroyed/burnt.
But also, hearts go out to those that have been made so shockingly un-sane by our society, the lack of support and education and love given to them that they feel it’s worthwhile and acceptable to go out and destroy peoples livelihoods and hurt other human beings.

 

The wanton destruction of property and looting is disgusting, being socially deprived does not give you the right to destroy other peoples livelihoods, those supporting the rioters wouldn’t be saying so if it was their houses, cars, places of employment that were being destroyed.

Although social factors can not be ignored, when are people going to stop looking for excuses for everyone, people need to take individual responsibility for their own actions.

Lots of people blame capitalist society for the actions of criminals, what about the culture of no-one taking responsibility for their own actions that is prevalent in this society? That's just as much an influence as the social factors. The PC world we live in, where excuses are made for every wrong doing and personal responsibility is not even a consideration has just as much an influence than any social factors. Some people join in because they know their actions will just be excused away as "it's just societies fault", well I'm sorry but if you do something wrong, no matter what the circumstances, take some responsibility for it.

Being from a socially deprived area does not stop you from progressing, yes it is much more difficult and yes that should be tackled, but it's not impossible if only people took some responsibility for their own actions instead of blaming everyone else.

Being socially deprived does not stop you from knowing what is right and wrong.

 

It's getting worse and worse down there, and it's spreading so fast. Everyone just wants to join in...

 

Who's supporting the rioters Danni? I have family in London who have had an awful night, I'm angry about this, and definitely not supporting them. However, finding the cause - and trying to stop it from happening again - is different to 'supporting' rioters.

Also, you're right, but why are they rioting?! It is not surprising that all the people doing this come from poor backgrounds and poor areas of their cities. Same happens in poor suburbs of France and all over Europe.

The looting is not right, but it does not surprise me when we live in a society of greed and material wealth.

Aye right ok, let's just get out the plastic bullets and water cannons like on the streets of Belfast, because that will solve everything.

 

You have to seriously worry about the morality of a society where things like this can happen in broad daylight.





I don't care what your background is and how "deprived" you may think you are, there is NO excuse for looting of shops and properties, theft and wanton destruction of property. Every sane person from a young age knows the difference between right and wrong, period. I just can't stomach listening to the bleeding heart liberals trying to blame the behaviour of those involved on social conditions. It's a * cop out and shows a disgusting lack of respect for those honest citizens who have worked hard year on year to build homes and business and have to stand and watch as the Police and Fire Service actually stand off allowing these barbarians to run amok.

It makes me ashamed to tell people I'm from the UK.

 

I was typing my response at the same time as you so it wasn't in response to you, there were people in this thread actively supporting the rioters saying "it's quality" and people on various other sites supporting them, that's who my post was directed at.

Many of those rioting are doing it for no other reason than to get as much new "stuff" for themselves as possible imo.

There are plenty people living in those areas that are not involved in the rioting and looting, are they not just as affected by social conditions as those involved? Maybe some people just recognise the difference between right and wrong? Putting all of the blame on "social conditions" will not solve the problems either, some of those involved are just thugs plain and simple and that has to be recognised without looking for someone else or something else to blame.

Using water cannons may not solve the problem, but it would help get the thugs of the street which has to be the first step.

 

Exactly what I was trying to say.

 

I personally don't care!! Public trust in society has collapsed, every authority has been proven corrupt.

These riots are pretty horrible yes, and folk are just using it as an excuse to loot and cause mayhem, but for the people who feel helpless it gives them a feeling of control.when the gap between the rich and the poor is at its heighest ever then that creates a divide.Now we are seeing the results.

Just keep the riots out of scotland.

 

QA that sounds like a Daily Mail article...

Ok fair enough Danni.

I think some people are missing the point. No 'bleeding heart liberals' are glorifying/supporting the violence. People are merely stating there is a reason for this, not just angry 'youths' going out looking for a new TV on the free, and that it could have been prevented.

In what way is it a cop out?! If anything, if we target the root issue, and I'm sorry but it is social condition, then we won't see this happening again. Most of these rioters are angry young men, they're angry for a reason.

Using violence, water cannons and the likes, will only stoke up the violence, two wrongs don't make a right.

 

It's disgusting that people are condoning the looting and rioting.
As the 'Brave Hackney Woman' said "If you want to fight for a cause, then fight for a cause".
There's no reason behind this criminality. There is no justification for what is being done.

There are also people calling for it to start in Glasgow tonight, Facebook groups etc. I hope if I saw someone looting a store I'd have the guts to confront them....


I think the police NEEDS water cannons, rubber bullets, tear gas....anything. Fending themselves against hundred of rioters with only a stick and a flimsy shield is not good.

 

That's exactly what it is IMO.

 

Why do they want a new TV? Why is there a need for looting?

In all major social protests there are those willing to use chaos to loot and steal, but doesn't change fact, happy communities don't riot.