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Re, why now? Takes a catalyst.
Not sure why David Cameron should return - what's he going to do? organise the police response? take over the council's involved? do a kneejerk politicians response because 'something must be done'?
Again I ask, to do what?
He's the PM, not an operational police commander. His job is to decide the broad strategy, not oversee every detail.
Given that whether you like him or not, being PM is an exhausting and stressful job its probably better we allow them breaks and only call them back if they can actually do something, rather than just because an old Deputy Prime Minister tweets it (and neglects to mention that when Blair was PM he left Prescott to deal with things whilst he was on holiday)
You don't think that the dissaffection which people on poor areas feel right now just exacerbates when the PM, Home Sec, Dep PM and London Mayor [apparently] couldn't give a shit when they riot?
These people have watched the bankers get richer whilst all their services are cut, they've listened to the demonisation of them whilst the politicians cosy up to the big bussinesses happily making huge profits and using the credit issues as an excuse to increase prices further. Now add in police brutality and racism followed by the murder to yet another innocent man.
Whilst that may not be an accurate account of "the truth", it's a perception. To them that's *is* the truth.
Sure, many are using that death as a cover for basic looting but why should they care about a society that doesn't care about them?
me too. But frankly when I go on leave they can go whistle unless its an absolute emergency and I can actually do something - if the community centre manager didn't leave someone who can deputise he's either someone too important to go on holiday or more likely someone who thinks he is.
But again what is the PM going to do?
Though even as I type I hear he's on a plane and coming home (more fool him and I hope Sam Cam gives him the cold arse treatment when she returns)
It spreads very easily - I can see how young people can get swept up up in it, it's exciting for them.
Time for a curfew and some water cannons I think. Just a good couple of days of classic British weather would sort it. Bring the rain.
I hope they dont start using rubber bullets. Doesn't take much for one of those to kill. Considering a large number of these cunts are still in school, dead and seriously injured kids will not bring an end to this.
Water cannons. People tend to go home when wet and cold.
Not often I pray for rain but we could do with a bit now.
My bad luck that I picked this time to be in London. I'm staying in Ealing and there was stuff happening here too. I didn't find out what exactly but when I returned many stores were closed, there were police and groups of people in different spots (some of the latter had their heads completely covered, and not with any religious garment) and other shops were closing just then. I heard about a riot of 200 people starting.
My friend told me about this happening, I didn't really believe her.. i mean.. Ealing??
Suprise suprise this has turnt out to be false. Apparently the police 'have never claimed the suspect fired at the police'
I'm not surprised this happened and neither are the police. They even had warnings prior to this and they simply didn't act upon them, if they did, it clearly wasn't fast enough. All of it's been building for a long time. People just reached their limit and they found their catalyst. I think we we'll be seeing more of it.
For anyone following this on twitter, there are #Londonriots to follow events. But for those who are in London as we speak, there are massive online community based efforts being made by citizens to clean up the streets after this violence #riotcleanup
While I agree with commenter's premise that "collective acceptance of mutual goals" is fundamental to maintaining a state of law and order, what follows, seems to me at least, an extremely liberal tunnel vision of human motivation and subsequent action. Now, I'm not doubting that disaffection can be brought on by being ostracised or a sense of being forgotten, it would be silly to do so. However, what I suspect is more pertinent in this case is a that wave of crystallisation has happened: a subset of people have suddenly understood that it is possible to step outside of the contract and not adhere to the rules. And not only that, but that there's a very real chance that doing so could be consequence free. The fact that it's predominantly younger people caught up in the rioting also speaks to a naive angle: these are people who haven't invested in society yet (as all young people haven't to a degree) and the adrenaline rush is more real and immediate to them than the fact that what they're setting fire to is forty years of hard graft and mortgage payments.
The Twitter video of the black woman with the walking stick sums up my thoughts, broadly speaking:
"We're not all gathering together and fighting for a cause; we're running down Footlocker and t'ieving shoe"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolitanpolice/