London's Burning

Mick -you make a fair point that everyone knows and agrees with.

We have all been expressing great anger at what has happened from the scumbags at the "top" of society. In the press,on internet and it's still going on.

And now in this particular thread we are expressing great anger at what is happening from the scumbags who are mainly at the bottom of society.

In both cases we - the majority of middle people - are too soft and easy-going .
 
To true all oldnick. I was making the point that it was argued that people from the lower incomes, from single parents, immigrant parents etc have more reason to be scumbags than people from privileged backgrounds,which is not the case. So do think the two social groups can be discussed together, because they are both as much to blame as to whats happening in the UK.
 
monagt said:
Who is censoring the Independent?? This article was removed within hours.
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Relax. You posted a broken link. Here's the great anthropologist's article.

On a lighter note, did anyone see the story about the two Kerry lads who broke into Ladbrokes last night and lost £50?
 
Mick- One could even argue that those at the bottom actually have more reason to act like scumbags. Those at the top acting like scumbags are even worse as they have no poverty and don't lack education or family support -and the reward for their actions measures in millions as opposed to a TV set.

I think the concern of the "middle people" is the ever growing number of those at the bottom end and the more extreme actions of direct violence. We perceive that there is a direct physical threat to our families and homes and that this threat is growing.

That is, the anger and fear one feels when a firebomb is thrown through one's window is not lessened by cognisance of the upper-class crimes also taking place. But you are most right to point the latter out so we don't forget them during the present social unrest.
And,yes, I agree at the end of the day, along with govnt policies and our own inaction, the acts of the rich looters are partly blame them for those fire bombs.

You made a good thought provoking post in a few lines compared to my never ending waffle.
 
Mucho Gracias Orka

It was a good link, I checked before I posted it and later it was taken off.

I wonder who's bright idea the censorship was - let him/her stand up and give a reason.
 

young people are more prone to crime when they are deprived of a decent family, and if you feel that the current batch of 'scumbags' are only following the example of the 'middle/upper class looters', then can you tell me why do they never follow good examples? Why isn't there people ready to step up and try and better themselves?
It's too easy to look beyond the fact that there are workshy morally deficient idiots roaming the streets and offering nothing to society, moving the discussion back to 'the bankers and politicians are the antichrist' only helps to keep spinning a cycle of neverending moaning and little else.
 
As per Sky News @ 22:30


Who are the rioters?


Most are white with jobs. Apart of course from the 11-year old.



Marion
 
Very true, and I believe that Ireland could have learned a lot from how/where things began to go so wrong in the UK, but we didn't. I sincerely hope that we will never see riots happen here but I wouldn't be sure that we won't.
 
Interesting article in today's Telegraph. Two small snippets:

“We wanted to show the police we could do what we wanted,” explained another looter moralist. “It’s the Government’s fault. Conservatives or something like that, yeah.”


"After the Arab Spring comes the summer of our discontent, made inglorious by that shaming comparison. Young people in Egypt and Syria riot in the streets for freedom and hope, precious intangibles for which they were prepared to risk their own lives. English youths riot for the inalienable right to have £150 trainers and a flat-screen telly. Material things for which they were happy to risk the lives of others. These kids of the ghetto and the jobless estates may not be worth much in society’s eyes, but here was their chance to shine: they could be the best at being bad. Suddenly they could scare people, and they tasted that power, and it felt good..."


Is this Cameron's sick society? Young people without any real values, parents who couldn't care less. This materialist society where kids measure themselves by their mobile phones, trainers and tracksuits.
 
One thing that disturbes me greatly about the whole rioting episode is the attitude of the British media- Sky mainly and BBC to a lesser extent.

Watching Sky last night, they were almost wetting themselves with excitement at the thoughts of another reporter and camera crew having to run for safety, or catching thugs on camera attacking the police.

You could hear the disappointment in their voices when all they had to report was that the police presence had things under control.

All they are doing is making celebrities out of low life thugs.
 

To be fair, I was a bit disappointed. There was nothing else on tv. A few rioters getting shot with plastic bullets is better entertainment than what RTE just announced for their new tv schedule. I think there could be a reality tv show in here somewhere.
 
Headline from rte.ie

British parliament to debate rioting, looting

Updated: 09:19, Thursday, 11 August 2011

Is this what things have come to?

You would think the elected government would be able to act in a dignified manner. But no, they just want to join in the night time fun.
 
Sky news and BBC news - looters who have appeared befoee court, a primary school teahcer, a trainee social worker, a call centre employee, a postman - these are not the 'disadvantaged yoof'!!
 
horusd said:
Is this Cameron's sick society? Young people without any real values, parents who couldn't care less. This materialist society where kids measure themselves by their mobile phones, trainers and tracksuits.
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It is the society of the labour governments creation.
 
shnaek said:
It is the society of the labour governments creation.
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How true. Except for one thing, it's not only England or the UK that has this problem. We have it, America has it, Europe has it. I really don't think Tony Blair had that much influence when he was in power.

Other than that, absolutely spot on.
 
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