I tend to agree with little John with the notion of the finance industry being held accountable,or at least sections of, for the corporate looting that has and continues to cause such economic uncertainty both that and the street looters behavior is reprehensible as for the idea that the Libyan conflict is similar to Englands woes is incorrect these thugs roaming and burning the streets are just that ,they are not fighting for political freedom, the signs are worrying in the wholesale breakdown of social values
The reason the rioters haven't focused their attention on anything worthwhile is because they are not rioters. They are looters.
Rioters have a purpose, a goal to attain.
Looters just steal stuff.
If there was such a political issue behind all this you'd see more than just kids looting stores and destroying things. You'd see older people too, and you'd see at least one banner or placard or message.
The reason you don't is because it is just a lot of brat kids being assholes.
Looters showing how marginalised and racially profiled and forgotten they are by stealing from an injured child:
The question was asked about insurance paying for the damage .
Based on my policy I'm only covered for the first 72hrs of rioting after that the insurance is void.
Even if the damage occurred in the first 72hrs.
Are the insurance company's paying agitators to keep it going ?
So what will happen to all the claims that are put in ?
Can there government afford to cover this ?
I don't think so .
So when all the citizens who think there covered by insurance find out that there not then we will see a riot .
And you can guaranty that the army will be involved then & they will be meet by lethal force .
The British government should probably declare a war on some ambiguous theme such as Anarchy. Its a war that isn't really possible, since it is a war against an ideal, and not a tangible opponent. Although they could probably find an as yet little known, foreign, multi-syllable named character that is apparently responsible for masterminding these riots (which are attacks against the British way of life) to focus the attention of the war. When the government harbouring this 'criminal' refuses to extradite him, even in the absense of any recognized extradition treaty, then they could use the media to develop the association of that government with this evil, hence deeming them an 'axis of evil' and worthy of invasion. Send their troops there and this whole ordeal should be over in a matter of 10-15 years..
Easy to comment from over here in the 'lucky country' ay? How many of us have lived a life on the streets like these 'kids' have. We have the lifestyle that allows us the simple pleasures in life, they don't, and obviously haven't been educated/shown how to live in the current 'society'. Their government HAS failed them, and now through sheer frustration (and lack of educational support) they are hitting out.
I watched the news this morning, sadly 3 dead trying to protect their property (it was bound to happen sooner or later) and started thinking that the government shouldn't be worried about rubber bullets, but get real ammo & clean them up!!!
I then took a look at my kids as they got ready for school, kissed my wife as she left for work & gave my 1y/o a hug & kiss goodbye as I dropped her next door to my neighbour's for the day ('adopted granny') and drove my kids out to a semi-rural school where the student population is <100 and they get 1-on-1 with teachers...
So who am I to judge?!
(I must be getting soft in my old-age)
Manchester Police have confronted rioters trying to escape from the city centre, knocking them off their bikes and beating one with a baton.
In a disturbing video uploaded to YouTube, police dressed in riot gear can be seen running around a corner where they intercept a group of people on bikes who are being chased by more police.
The eyewitness who filmed the video describes the men as "rioters trying to flee from the city centre" and said they were being tracked by a police helicopter before they were stopped.
One man can be seen dismounting his bike and is shoved to the ground by the officer while another policeman beats his legs.
The man does not fight back and the police stop hitting him, letting him stand and taking him to the side of the road.
Copy and Paste from Nine MSN Home page. The only thing I find "disturbing" is that the reporter thinks it is disturbing. Maybe if there was more of this treatment handed out the "precious little darlings" might think about staying home and not running amok.
Certainly a terrible situation that looks to be "class difference" motivated.
Don't forget we have had similar here with the Cronulla riots. Not as widespread and more "racially motivated" but essentially the same thing i.e. a breakdown of law and order.
If it is a "class and/or economic" divide that has motivated the riots, then attacking their local shopkeepers is quite insane, as is rioting.
Buckingham Palace and Fleet Street are more logical targets. If they were the targets you could bet the military would respond in a flash.
there is a movie that came out a few years back called "harry Brown" starring Michael Caine, based in one of the English public housing estates it depicts all the the hoods in a scenario not to dissimilar to what has transpired over the last few days in London , a really powerful movie and alarmingly real [5 stars]
Maybe not such a class-based spree either:
www.theage.com.au/world/wellheeled-join-downtrodden-in-looting-spree-20110811-1insa.html
As my kids are getting older, I give them more and more responsibility for choices they make, including their morality.
I still keep 100% of the fault if they do bad things when they're adults - means I didn't do my job. I believe responsibility does not add up to 100%.
Those you saw on TV are adults or soon to be, surely the beginning of being responsible for one's own principles - or lack thereof in this case.
We're not talking "I didn't know looting was bad" here. Bad stuff...
Its times like these that brute force should be used from day one. Standing there with a shield hoping that they will just stop and go home is a load of crap. These scumbag low lifes need to know if they break the law they will get f@#$ed up. I would hate to be a police officer in this day and age.
I lived on a council estate in SE London for about 5 years in my younger days.
Although the estate had lots of social problems the one thing that united everybody was a sense of community.
Either in the pub, local shops, on the estate or the chippy people were chirpy and knew each other taking time to give a sh!t about what was happening with their neighbor.
I guess that's gone now?
