England riots

[Cincinnatus]

The VAST majority are not making any political or sociological point, they are ransacking purely for the sake of it.

This.  Once a few people start riots for a specific purpose, others just join in to be a part of it.  Either way, unemployment and a bad economy is no excuse to burn down other people's property.  From what I understand, they're burning down shops and everything else, not just a target of government buildings.

I can understand the troubles people are going through, but what sense is it that these riots are going to solve anything?  Some of the kids participating in these riots no doubt have nothing better to do then break windows, and play with matches

[Boris]

The VAST majority are not making any political or sociological point, they are ransacking purely for the sake of it.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

LOL  Boris wins thread. 

[Fuzzybigfoot]

Anyways, whats up with all you young Brits?  When us Americans get angry or depressed with society, we simply bitch about our lives and start writing emo poetry to compensate.  And we really show those bureaucratic bastards who's boss by not voting. 

[dead0man]

Good luck to the police and people minding their own business, they're going to need it.

[phk]

"Only in the West could rioters wearing designer duds with iPods and iPhones, looting immigrant shop owners and beating them up -- be considered "poverty stricken"

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

"Only in the West could rioters wearing designer duds with iPods and iPhones, looting immigrant shop owners and beating them up -- be considered "poverty stricken"

Playing devil's advocate here--you know that in a lot of these urban communities those things are pretty much all people own, right? There's enormous, enormous cultural and media pressure to buy useless sh**t until you can't afford decent food or lodging. On everybody, actually, not just urban poors.

[phk]

Southall set an example today. Sikhs and Hindus protecting Mosques and Muslims protecting Gurudwaras and Temples!

[phk]

"Only in the West could rioters wearing designer duds with iPods and iPhones, looting immigrant shop owners and beating them up -- be considered "poverty stricken"

Playing devil's advocate here--you know that in a lot of these urban communities those things are pretty much all people own, right? There's enormous, enormous cultural and media pressure to buy useless sh**t until you can't afford decent food or lodging. On everybody, actually, not just urban poors.

These people have far more than what most in the world have: housing, healthcare, education.
Hell, even American kids don't have what they have. Protest the government all you want, but once you start destroying property and hurting people--all you deserve is to be treated like a criminal that you truly are.

No amount of this "faux" poverty justifies this kind of sh**t. Hell, they aren't even *in* poverty by practically all standards. And killing kids who actually have a job and trying to protect their business? Sick

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

"Only in the West could rioters wearing designer duds with iPods and iPhones, looting immigrant shop owners and beating them up -- be considered "poverty stricken"

Playing devil's advocate here--you know that in a lot of these urban communities those things are pretty much all people own, right? There's enormous, enormous cultural and media pressure to buy useless sh**t until you can't afford decent food or lodging. On everybody, actually, not just urban poors.

These people have far more than what most in the world have: housing, healthcare, education.
Hell, even American kids don't have what they have. Protest the government all you want, but once you start destroying property and hurting people--all you deserve is to be treated like a criminal that you truly are.

No amount of this "faux" poverty justifies this kind of sh**t. Hell, they aren't even *in* poverty by practically all standards. And killing kids who actually have a job and trying to protect their business? Sick

I complete agree. As I said, I was playing devil's advocate. Just pointing out that they are underprivileged and alienated by the standards of British society.

British society which still doesn't deserve this kind of shabby treatment. No argument there at all. By any objective standards they're acting like sociopathic, entitled little sh**tbuckets like it's their job.

[Iosif]

They might delay the start of the Premier League over this.

The chav c***s have taken it too far.

[Foucaulf]

I still haven't gotten over the Vancouver riots, so I have tried to follow this closely. It's not too hard to realize the situations are completely different, meaning I have no right to psychoanalyse the participants. I will, however, post this series of tweets:

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[Lief 🗽]

They might delay the start of the Premier League over this.

The chav c***s have taken it too far.

^^^^

[2952-0-0]

Gaddafi's deputy foreign minister has called for Cameron to quit: http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/UK-riots-Cameron-must-go-says-Libya-20110810

[Peter]

I've been in Manchester the last few days. Last night was fun.

[You kip if you want to...]

Gaddafi's deputy foreign minister has called for Cameron to quit: http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/UK-riots-Cameron-must-go-says-Libya-20110810

[minionofmidas]

Anyways, whats up with all you young Brits?  When us Americans get angry or depressed with society, we simply (...) start writing emo poetry to compensate.  And we really show those bureaucratic bastards who's boss by not voting. 

If you think that's somehow less than four times as destructive as these riots, we need to have a quiet word. -_-

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Really, really wet out here today. Get the feeling that the police would kill for the weather system to have moved just a little bit further east...

[TheGlobalizer]

The police department should be passing out shotties to storekeepers, IMO.

It takes a special sort of human garbage to engage in this kind of mindless destruction.

Yes because having a gun war now would really calm things down.

Short term increase, but then that it would shut that sh** down.

These aren't Che's revolutionaries, people.  They're a bunch trash-can opportunists looking to update their wardrobe and have a laugh at the expense of people who work hard.  They're not going to fight to the death for an iPod or some Air Jordans.

At least this will probably give a short bump to the UK economy in a few months.  Destruction begins reconstruction, after all.

[You kip if you want to...]

I'm sure the chancellor won't be too unhappy about the riots.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/08/09/bank-of-england-to-downgr_n_921991.html

[opebo]

These people have far more than what most in the world have: housing, healthcare, education.

No amount of this "faux" poverty justifies this kind of sh**t. Hell, they aren't even *in* poverty by practically all standards.

All poverty is relative, phk.  And you have to remember that these Brits have a lot of grit - they don't take ill-treatment lying down like an American.

[Zarn]

These people have far more than what most in the world have: housing, healthcare, education.

No amount of this "faux" poverty justifies this kind of sh**t. Hell, they aren't even *in* poverty by practically all standards.

All poverty is relative, phk.  And you have to remember that these Brits have a lot of grit - they don't take ill-treatment lying down like an American.

So the people being ill-treated by these rebels without a clue aren't going to take it lying down. Well, at least that is heartening.

[opebo]

So the people being ill-treated by these rebels without a clue aren't going to take it lying down. Well, at least that is heartening.

Please stop trying to be clever.. it is painful to observe.

[Silent Hunter]

Do we have any posters that live in London?

A couple. Silent Hunter is the only long-term regular one; lives near Romford out in the 'burbs, so out of harms way (hopefully).

Yep, I haven't been caught up in any of it; have been a bit nervous though. Debenhams in Romford got its windows smashed in, but I was nowhere near.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

So the people being ill-treated by these rebels without a clue aren't going to take it lying down. Well, at least that is heartening.

Please stop trying to be clever.. it is painful to observe.

I'm afraid you overestimated him. He doesn't know what "clever" is.