2011 The year of discontent in the Western world?

[RobsanX]

http://t.co/b6Mk3Nm

[RobsanX]

Cameron's on it!

[Roo]

Good God, do you truly believe the London riots are part of a revolution? It started over a gang member (lots of controversy around this) who got shot by the cops and a peaceful protest turned into a riot that has now lasted for nearly 4 days.

It is a spit in the face to revolutions everywhere (like in Syria and Bahrain right now) to call what is happening in London a "revolution". It's a bunch of youth with misplaced anger taking it out on their local community, and like always the middle class will front the bill for this.

Nicely put sgreger. Rob, have a listen to these "revolutionaries": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424 There are more sound clips on the page of reporters interviewing the looters. They aren't "fighting" for or against anything but a good time. And they think they have it bad? It really is a slap in the face to the Syrians, Bahrainis, etc

[sgreger1]

I feel so bad for the workers of London, the middle class. The same story as always is playing itself out once again, the rich lobbying for their interests, the poor burning things down to protect their checks, and the middle class taxpayer foots the bill for all of it and then has to go clean it up after it's done. This is what happens when wealth disparity gets out of hand, the rich get richer and better at taking their piece of the pie, and the poor get poorer and lose all sense of who they are and go crazy. Right now a middle class still semi-exists to keep it all together, but eventually they too will be gone and all that will be left is the oligarchs and the rioters.

Take note America. It is coming any time now.

[sgreger1]

Nicely put sgreger. Rob, have a listen to these "revolutionaries": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424 There are more sound clips on the page of reporters interviewing the looters. They aren't "fighting" for or against anything but a good time. And they think they have it bad? It really is a slap in the face to the Syrians, Bahrainis, etc

Indeed, I saw a video earlier of the rioters rushing the riot police and throwing things at thema nd hitting them with what appeared to be 2x4's or something and the police just backed off. The rioters are taking for granted the fact that in western culture we tend to not want to hurt our protestors (most of the time), in Bahrain and Syrian right now they are gunning down thousands of people in the street and indiscriminately shooting protestors, London is hesitant to even bring out water cannons....


Listen to the interviews of these kids rioting, they don't know why they are there. It's like a friday night party, they don't know who's throwing it but they're just there cause ain't shit else to do so why not have a good time. The damage to the local businesses will not help the economy of London as this has destroyed the livelihood for the very people that keep the town afloat.


Too bad they don't have firearms in London, when the LA riots happened the Korean shopkeepers banded together and guarded their stores with firearms from the roof. They didn't have to fire a single shot and none of them got robbed. And even if they did fire a round, you would only have to shoot once, as these rioters aren't fighting for their freedom and aren't going to risk getting shot. They are only doing this because the government hasn't tightened the belt on their asses yet.


Let's all hope tonight is the last night of this nonsense, the middle class can't take any more. At least the rich stay within their legal means when robbing honest working folk, but to just throw a brick through a shopkeeper's window or to rob his flat with a mob is completely against any message these rioters supposedly stand for.

[truthwolf1]

This is how you manage the situation.

[HK11]

Good God, do you truly believe the London riots are part of a revolution? It started over a gang member (lots of controversy around this) who got shot by the cops and a peaceful protest turned into a riot that has now lasted for nearly 4 days.

It is a spit in the face to revolutions everywhere (like in Syria and Bahrain right now) to call what is happening in London a "revolution". It's a bunch of youth with misplaced anger taking it out on their local community, and like always the middle class will front the bill for this.

It's not part of any revolution I would stand behind anyway. If they were middle class people on Downing Street I would be more interested.

This riot seems to be more akin to the mobs here in the US as of late.

[RobsanX]

You can keep putting these people down, or maybe you could listen to them.

[Roo]

You can keep putting these people down, or maybe you could listen to them.

Right that is a good example. Again, a bad example: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424 There are two sides to this and it's the observer's job to determine to which side most of the participants belong. Of course it's hard to tell without being there, and perhaps we just need to disagree. Aside from that, do you condone robbing your neighbor's business to prove a point to your government? Or to your hardworking fellow citizens aka "the rich"? The rich people in question are not shop owners, nor are they the police.

[sgreger1]

These rioters fall into two groups:

*Those who joined in the riot and are just there to riot.

*Those who see these riots as a great basis to voice their legitimate complaints about government/the rich when the cameras get turned on them.

But let's not pretend this riot started or continues because of any legitimate protest against the rich or the government.


I have listened to enough of the rioters and some are there taking out their anger at the gvernment and most are just there to break shit. Regardless of which group you belong to, they will affect no change by robbing kids, hurting innocent people, or burning down your local mom and pop stores.

I dunno though, perhaps tomorrow I should wake up, punch my sister in the face, take a dump on my own bed and then throw my fist in the air and say "Yah **** the rich!!!!!!!" And then enjoy my 5 minutes of fame when the BBC comes out to interview me and ask why I did it. <--- That'll show em!

The rich/government won here in that the underclass has again been duped into shitting on their own bed and taking out their anger on themselves. If this many youth would actually SHOW UP AND VOTE come election time than maybe they could affect some real change.

[sgreger1]

London rioters are not 'protesters', admits BBC

Interview with a looter.

"These rioters really are like the child who threw its toys out of the pram because it couldn't have another ice cream."



I kind of see the merit of how some of these people are thinking though:

"Everyone's heard about the police taking bribes, the members of parliament stealing thousands with their expenses. They set the example. It's time to loot"

^^^ I can see where they are coming from, but it's like getting pissed off at the cops and then going and robbing your neighbors house, it's just not the right way to go about things and only makes it easier for the police to abuse you.

[lxskllr]

^^^ I can see where they are coming from, but it's like getting pissed off at the cops and then going and robbing your neighbors house, it's just not the right way to go about things and only makes it easier for the police to abuse you.

You capture a cop, hide him away, and make demands. That's how you start a revolution ;^)

[Frosted]

These people are mainly children with the age range from 10 upwards. They all like to be a part of a 'gang' and there are lots of these gangs in every borough of London.
With Blackberry, Facebook and Twitter, they have become 'organised'. There is no agenda apart from a desire to cause damage to property and steal.

The problem with youth today is that there is a sense that society owes them something without them having to put any work in. There is a lack of personal responsibility, as described by a lot of teenagers today "You can't touch me, I can do whatever I want." "It's because I'm disadvantaged innit".

I talked to my grandmother today, she's getting on. She recalled that when she was growing up, if you didn't work you simply didn't eat. As a child, shoes could not be afforded and she walked many miles to work in a mill in order that the family could eat. The whole family, children and all had to work.

When I was a teenager I wasn't the brightest spark but I wasn't the dimmest. I had to work bloody hard to get my 'O' levels and 'A' levels. I went to university, and ok I left to join the Army, but there I worked bloody hard. I left the Army and now I'm in security where I work bloody hard.
This would be totally alien to the youth that were out on the streets of London.

Yes, there are a lack of jobs around these days and you have to take what you can get - but do not burn down my city when I am paying for your benefits and income support or your families council house. In my grandmothers day there was no such thing - you starved. So I say to the youth, stick your bling, your gang culture and the chip on your shoulders firmly up your arse - get some self respect and some personal responsibility. Do something about it, do some work - school work, volunteer work, anything.

But from that display of lunacy on the streets I personally feel that all is lost for them. They'll listen to nobody. Maybe only Dr. Doolittle can help them.

[Ainkor]

I'ts pretty interesting when you put things in perspective. On facebook, a bunch of friends are doing this fad "You know your from xxxxxxx if....."

I read through a bunch of them and even remembered and participated in quite a few things that they were posting but....... I'm an adult now. I have kids, a career, responsibility and while I may remember how funny I thought it was to duct tape someone's car to their house, I'd be F-in pissed at that now as I would have to clean it up and pay for the damages.

If my kids did half the things I got away with as a kid I'd consider myself a failure as a parent.

With age comes wisdom and THAT is something that these rioters don't have. I sure hope they get a bit of an education and learn how to pick themselves up by their boot straps and grow up to be responsible citizens. I have my doubts though....

[sgreger1]

You capture a cop, hide him away, and make demands. That's how you start a revolution ;^)

Lol, how scared would the government be if they dispatched a few thousand riot police and all of them disappeared?


Cameron: "Send in the riot police, all of them!"

* 2 hours later *

Assistant: "The riot police have all disappeared sir! They just vanished!"


*ring ring*

Anonymous caller: "We have some demands to make asshole..."