What do you make of the U.K. riots?
Posted at 5:00 AM on August 10, 2011
by Jon Gordon
(33 Comments)
Rioters in London and other U.K. cities looted stores, destroyed cars and torched buildings over the past few days; the troubles began Saturday with a protest over a police shooting and morphed into a general lawlessness.
Today's Question: What do you make of the U.K. riots?
Comments (33)
Hey, guys, let's rest our butts a bit, grab another power drink, return to the couch, and "click" the local bored punks into another riot. The sheep instructing wolves. C'mon guys...
"Perhaps it might come here...."
Remember the civil rights riots of the sixties, anyone? Maybe you're all too young.
I'm surprised it hasn't yet. Been predicting it since the wonderful days of the Reagan administration. And given the level of anger in today's exchanges,k the moment is coming closer.
Or maybe The Rapture is closer than we think. I'm not religious; I'm not sure I'm a Christian, even. But all those signs we are so frequently regaled with seem ominously present. (but what do I know)
What do I know about anything? (Keep all comment to yourselves, please, or save them for a more worthy opponent.) And don't forget to smile - At least it makes people wonder what you know that they don't.
//LIberal social programs have led to a generation of people who BELIEVE they are entitled to whatever they want no matter their decsions or behaviors. Poor choices lead to poor results unless you live in a world of entitlements. Poverty of the mind is the cause of the riots.
that makes no sense at all.
Why is the news media resisting the Ron Paul revolution. Ron will win in Iowa and it will be funny to see how the B as in B and S as in S media handles this.
I just saw the clips from Philly....what the UK is seeing is now starting here but WHERE is our President or Al Sharpton to speak out on the black youth attacking whites for fun? We have now seen this criminal act against white people in Madison, WI and Philly....flash mob attacks against whites is NOT being covered by NPR but if it was an isolated incident of two white teens beating on black or hispanics the main street media would be there 24/7.
If everyone reading this post would contact NPR/MPR and ask WHY is that story being ignored, maybe then they will stop the bias of non coverage before Philly starts to look like the UK..
"At one time, it was well understood that adversity taught valuable lessons, which reduce the probability of repeating foolish decisions. But, today, the welfare state shields people from the consequences of their own mistakes, allowing irresponsibility to continue and to flourish among ever wider circles of people." Thomas Sowell
LIberal social programs have led to a generation of people who BELIEVE they are entitled to whatever they want no matter their decsions or behaviors. Poor choices lead to poor results unless you live in a world of entitlements. Poverty of the mind is the cause of the riots.
The UK has essentially unemployment benefits for life....their socialist entitlement lifestyle can not be sustained as it was. Only America has a chance to remain the strongest nation of freedoms and opportunity. Yet, the past three years of Obama's policies have all failed us..every economic indicator has gone down since he took office..facts are facts and blaming Bush alone is just Obama's failure to lead. Recall he did have full control of Congress for the first two years and they did NOT pass a balanced budget let alone Obama's come lately Budget plan was soundly denounced by his own party! 97-0 vote.His polices have delayed a sound energy policy. Fuel has gone up 100%, milk has gone up 200% in some parts of the country and unemployment. has stayed above 9% ! This speaks volumes of his failed leadership but good lord he sure can campaign among the wealthy and spin a good tale of how nothing is his fault.
He should be a preacher with his pal Reverend Wright in Chicago or at least have dinner with him in his all white community of million dollar homes..how does that fit with bashing the high achievers?
@Lucy, one thing to add to your comment about the "peaceful" march on Scotland Yard is the inteviewee noted they were ignored by both the police and the media ... "now we are getting media attention." This was "justification" for the violance in his mind. As noted a couple of days ago, the media does tend to focus on the negative and sensationalize it.
@Angela
//Underlying all of the frustration surrounding the economy, job losses, political, and social unrest is the breakdown of civil society.
Why is that?
//Replacing the respectful but passionate dialogue and necessary patience to work whatever flawed systems that exist is the prevasive sense of entitlement with complete lack of self-control of emotion, and worse, an apparent lack of desire for emotional control or respect, especially self respect.
According to an article that I read, this riot did begin with a march to Scotland Yards where they were ignored. This behavior only reinforces the 'might makes right' lines of thinking by the rioters in that acts of violence might get their attention, especially at a time when social cuts are being made. And about that patience, I am certain most of these individuals have spent their entire childhood waiting for things to get better.
"pervasive sense of entitlement", to food clothing shelter and dignity that might come in a form of a job or hope to improve personal living conditions?
It will be interesting to see how they handle this situation. Will they listen?
This whole situation was created by a group of children who never had to grow up or be responsible. The UK created a system where all you have to do is ask for a hand out and never earn anything. That form of government is not sustainable over the long term. Now that cuts are being made to these hand outs there is a group of kids and young adults that have no marketable skills and are literally just taking what they want because they never learned (and don't have the skills) to earn a living wage. It's about time for the UK police to start using tear gas and rubber bullets; the rioters may not understand much but those measures will definately get their attiention.
Underlying all of the frustration surrounding the economy, job losses, political, and social unrest is the breakdown of civil society. Replacing the respectful but passionate dialogue and necessary patience to work whatever flawed systems that exist is the prevasive sense of entitlement with complete lack of self-control of emotion, and worse, an apparent lack of desire for emotional control or respect, especially self respect.
suzie-
I do not know why this man had to be shot, but his death is not an excuse for this type of violence.
This is only what ignited the anger pent up within these people. They are sick of being poor and having no hope.
I am not advocating violence. This is the same state of affairs with our government here in the US. They are blind to the reality of their decisions that never visit to their doorsteps.
I am not advocating violence but what would happen if the poor took their problems to the suburbs where the wealthy reside? Instead of the poor ruining their own back yard, what if they took it to the steps of those responsible for the decision making? What if they organized with their cell phones and bussed everyone out into the suburbs? Would these politicians listen? Or would they call the police and 'have them removed'
Do you see how violence happens?
again not advocating violent demonstration, just explaining where it comes from.
//I do not know why this man had to be shot, but his death is not an excuse for this type of violence.
that was the 'spark' that ignited the anger filled bodies mostly because of a life of poverty.
The same thing is happening here in the US. Some wonder if that type of riot could happen. I am not advocating violence, expecially when the outlet occurs among the others who are suffering just as well. The wealthy don't care because the poor burn the poor and they continue on their greedy ways.
If it happened here the 'organized' individuals with cell phones would have to arrange bussing out into the suburbs where the wealthy reside to get anything accomplished.
Again, I am not advocating violence. I am making a comment about organization.
We can expect this at a time when heavy burdens are placed on those who are fighting mightily to stay in the middle class because of continued high unemployment, lowered wages, escalating food and fuel prices, inaccessible health care, while at the same time financial favors are carved out for corporations and the wealthiest few percent...those who seem to have bought government, are most capable of helping out, yet aren't asked to.
This could happen in the US, but it won't be just the "black poor people" that Kim alludes to. There are a lot of angry white poor people out there, too.
And let's stop the finger pointing. It is counterproductive, and we are all in this together.
Quote witnesses from London Times, "Rioters were predominantly young Black men who coordinated their attacks through mobile devices. Their main target was shops selling consumer goods or businesses with cash."
I repeat criminals and thugs and nothing more!
I do not know why this man had to be shot, but his death is not an excuse for this type of violence. Citizens have a right to protest, but this is outright pack violence. And when the rioters run in packs, they loose their individual guilt because "everyone was doing it".
Some have stated that this type of violence will happen here and they can't wait for certain people's houses to be burned down. Wow, now that sounds like threats - not what this country is supposed to be about. Total lack of class.
Pack violence and riots turn off the rest of the nation. Too many people in England, like here, are now used to having the government do everything done for them. Get off your butts get educated and vote intelligently. Pressure (peacefully and smartly) current legislators to think more about the citizens and less about themselves and their rich friends. Tax the hell out of foreign made products. The US taxpayer is NOT responsible for evey other country on this planet. We can help those really in need, but the nations who have mega-millionaires and billionaires can take care of themselves.
One name says it all. Robert Murdoch. When justice, equality, desert, and fairness fail some turn to desperate acts to seek these things in their own sense of the world.
Hiram
//Where is von Mieses now, when they need him?
pushing up daisies
@ Tim
Remember the RNC? I was driving my son home from an athletic practice trying to get onto the freeway at Dale and 94 where I was forced onto Univiversity and ended up at the Capitol, due to traffic which the last place that I wanted to be. I ended up at a dead end, with my 11 year old son infront of a padded-down-red-bull-fuel-injected-club-yeilding-mutant-ninja-turtle.
I could only laugh.
My son, however, was horrified by the violence-and-mayham--if -you- dare- engage-me- gestures-of the padded down mutant ninja turtle flailing his wand mercilessly at us.
Local history proves to be 'shoot first' and 'ask questions later'. The RNC arrested many who were innocent which was later proven -at the cost of the public- in the courts at the hearings.
Many of these looters are young, impressionable, sick of 'not having' and then having programs taken away from them. Boredom.
Kim, your comment today looks suspiciously similar to Raoul's yesterday. Are you two cutting and pasting from the same set of talking points, or are you two pseudonymns for the same person, or are you plagiarizing Raoul?
When people feel disempowered, they avail themselves of whatever power they have. In this country, wealth is power. The risk of such things happening here grows in step with the wealth gap.
What is amazing is that the media airs the UK with the spectacular but sad vids of flames yet ignores the last week story where nearly a hundred black young adults attacked whites as they left the State Fair in WI.
As long as our President continues his habit of blaming rich white people for all the woes, thus encouraging black poor people to feel justified to attack others and as the administration fosters bigger entitlements and grows the federal government's employee ranks all in order to have more control and more Progressive voter ranks, we will be at risk for a UK scenario.
The media is not helping. Yesterday NPR did a story of a thinly veiled attack on Christianity which tried to demonize Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann yet we will not see a story about Obama's religious underpinnings with his radical Rev. Wright Black Liberation Theology church. This is how the media is biased and contributes to more unrest among us_ class warfare and religious attacks has NOT brought our country closer together ..wasn't it Obama who campaigned on changing that???
Our own administration's failed "Fast and Furious" gun running sting operation with our BATF.is another good example of a lack of true leadership for the good of all. The BATF sting was created as a sham to create a crisis all in order to push for reducing our Second Amendment rights, nothing more.
"I can't wait, I'm looking forward to watching a few of Koch brothers houses burn on TV."
So much for taking the high road.
So much for toning down the rhetoric.
While I don't approve of the looting and destruction, I still think it makes our youth look lazy and complacent and perhaps ignorant about political realities. I mean our youth didn't even show up for midterm elections.
@Alex
Their government already had little or no interest in remedying their concerns, much like ours. You are thinking re-actively (much like our government) instead of pro-actively.
I'm not excusing their behavior, but when you have absolutely no hope, instead see nothing but poverty in your future, you are going to act out. The French and Russian revolutions was not caused by hooligans and thugs, but by disenfranchised people rebelling against the plutocratic regimes.
If you own a shop in the city, or many of the suburbs be sure to keep your insurance paid up, it'll be coming here soon too.
Perhaps it might come here. Conditions are deteriorating for the poor - some people have nowhere to turn for employment. Young people are potentially volatile. If it did happen here it would be much more deadly. Our populace and police are well-armed and feel justified in using violence. It's a frightening thought.
What do they think that they are accomplishing by rioting, destroying property, and looting? They are going to cause their government to have little or no interest in remedying their concerns because the rioters are acting like criminals and thugs.
Looks like America's future. We keep sending jobs over seas, allow stagnated wages while the rich keep getting richer, taxes going up for us working (middle?) class, ridiculous house and rental prices, unmanageable costs for education, cuts to core services like police and fire fighters, the list could go on and on, and you'll see the same thing here in no time.
I can't wait, I'm looking forward to watching a few of Koch brothers houses burn on TV.
Thugs, criminals and anarchists. Mounting a few of their heads on Tower Bridge might help.
Any excuse for a party?
Boys will be boys?
Remember, they looted Vancouver to celebrate losing the Stanley Cup!
European Spring perhaps?
In Europe they seem to be whining, moaning, and protesting about their free, free government cheese. It's sad that a man died, but such destruction is nearly mindless in, and of itself as a political statement, especially when your burning down your own town. Guess that nearly free education, nearly free housing, and free healthcare only makes people so happy.
Could it be that this might be a preview of what could happen here? Except here, we would have had more people shot down by now.
British politics is currently in the grip of neo-marxists who are committed to maintaining the inherent cyclicality of Marxism. Now they are learning that it isn't easy to separate Marx's analysis from Marx's remedies. Where is von Mieses now, when they need him?
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