Riots in the UK

[William Joseph Dunn]

I think this is coming to a lot of countries.

When 400 people control more money than the bottom 150 MILLION in the US, there's gonna be a reckoning. I don't condone it. I don't look forward to it. But I feel it coming in my bones. People are fed up and the least of us will try to even the field with guns, rocks, sticks and fire.

yeah, it's only a matter of time before the apathy finally wears off in the States. it's pretty obvious Wisconsin has had enough and they are getting politically mobilized.

I wish all of the U.K. board guys the best and stay safe.

[jdudley]

Besides the very superficial factors that are pretty much part of any larger manifestation of civil disorder (one key event sparking existing tensions, fluid network of protesters with a highly decentralized, if any, organizational structure, etc.), what do you think are the similarities? Thinking specifically in terms of motivation, goal, and politics, I'd say that there are very, very few, if any, similarities. 

As far as I can tell, we are talking about a large amount of apolitical, disillussioned people, the vast majority of them under 25, who are using the opportunity to loot, destroy property, and taunt the governmental authority figures in the form of the UK police force. I wouldn't even compare them to the typical anti-globalization rioters who employ some of the same tactics, since they at least have a political agenda behind their actions. What is the agenda of the current English looters?

Without taking it seriously at all, it does speak to the situation that the official news outlet of the Gadaffi regime went out in support of the London rioters yesterday.

That's why I said it was a much, much smaller scale than Egypt, Libya, ect. In those countries, the initial riots spilled out into a far greater social revolution which was supported by a great majority of their respective countries populace. The riots in the U.K. were sparked by a festering resentment of established power but that resentment (at that level) was simply not shared by older and more established Britons—hence, it was and is a large riot, but by no means a revolution (thankfully, obviously)

[Dotanuki]

Apropos of nothing, it was good to hear from my cousin, his wife and their son in Hackney...they've had a flat there for the past five years:  

Cousin: "Thanks for the note J, just wanted to let you know that we're alright. We were between two trouble zones at either end of our road, but nothing immediately local. Lots of smashed up shops, so not going shopping in the area for awhile... The cops are so afraid of lawsuits that they won't do anything - last night the Turkish business owners in the area took to the street with sticks, vigilante style. Totally bizarre. Tonight there are masses of police on the street, and things seem to be mellowing out, so we're relaxing."

Cousin's Wife: "We are all fine and safe. Monday night was a nightmare - burnt out cars, rioting and circling helicopters all night etc. We were fine indoors but the action was at both ends of our street so we packed a bag and stayed up just in case. Ended up watching it unfold on bbc news 24 but heard it in stereo.
N. seems fairly relaxed about it all. I thought he'd need more reassurance but he seems to have unshakeable faith in the police! Last night was very calm here. Police everywhere - they've bussed more in from Wales and Newcastle."

[john_k]

This has really damaged my faith in humanity.

Karma for having faith in humanity.

[Michael2402]

I think this is coming to a lot of countries.

When 400 people control more money than the bottom 150 MILLION in the US, there's gonna be a reckoning. I don't condone it. I don't look forward to it. But I feel it coming in my bones. People are fed up and the least of us will try to even the field with guns, rocks, sticks and fire.

Well said Chris.

We have an alienated youth culture - And have had since the mods and the rockers and the media's portrayal of them.

We are at crisis point with youth unemployment.

The gap between rich and poor is only getting wider.

We have a prime minister who talks on national television about how unfair it is that people get benefits and can live in London when a hard working family can't afford it - At no point, in the 45 minute debate that I watched, did he acknowledge the high rise, battery hen style flats that many of these people live in.

Our government bangs on about the importance of hard work and how unfair benefits are so they cut them without offering an alternative. Now I agree that benefits are a problem in our country, but cutting peoples throats isn't going to help anyone.

Our universities fees have more than doubled and our inner city schooling is pretty shocking anyway.

Again I'm not condoning the current behaviour, but I really hope the rioters are dealt with and then we look at why it may have happened. I fear with our current government that won't happen.

[Richard]

It's been pretty quiet here in Cardiff. Some of the stores in the city centre have been closing a bit earlier than usual, and I did hear there might have been a little trouble in Grangetown (One of the poorer areas of Cardiff) but other than that, it's been fine.

For those interested, there was a supposedly deliberate hit and run in Birmingham which claimed the lives of three young British Asians. The people who drove the car are suspected looters.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/10/birmingham-riots-anger-deaths

Here's hoping the people responsible are brought to justice.
 

[judekill]

I feel here in New York you bring up the riots and people know about them and acknowledge that "hey yeah that's fucked up huh?" but no seems to really care. But there have been some good pieces written in the ny times and the boston globe. Weirdly most of the coverage seems to center around how will this affect the olympics. Who the fuck cares. I really enjoyed this article in the guardian it helped answer a lot of questions I had about what was going on. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/09/uk-riots-psychology-of-looting?INTCMP=SRCH I think everyone here has been right on-this has been both political and apolitical at the same time. I always seem to bring up Marx, but I can't think of a more brutal and honest example of class warfare and how capitalism alienates the working and lower class and pollutes politics. A development that is really intriguing and horrifying in that it could escalate tension even more is the racial issue that is brewing. 4 asian men were killed when they were slammed into by a car of looters. The asian community is threatening violent payback if some urgent police action isn't taken soon. I do wish there was more symbolic looting of super rich conglomerates rather than purely functional stealing and destroying of foot lockers, liquor stores, and mom & pops. Not that it would make it right it would just make it easier to see where they are coming from. I think this is something new that we can't really wrap our heads around just yet because the levels of horror and disgust (which also includes the British Police force & Murdoch's sleazy tabloid practices) are so completely overwhelming. 4 days of looting in London, that's just insane.

[Cammy]

From what I heard on the radio today it sounds like the riots are starting to disperse a little. However, then you see articles reporting sporting gear (baseball bats) and police batons have skyrocketed on Amazon.uk by 5,000%! Imagine what might happen after they eventually get their items in the mail; chaos all over again.

My solution; get Karl Urban in his Judge Dredd outfit to start patrolling the streets. Watch the vermin scatter.

[Lucien21]

Amazing how all these out of work "poor" youths are rocking about on £100 trainers, designer gear and organising all this agro with their £300 blackberries. 

[leafinsectman (Dan)]

Fuck. This. Shit.

[Michael2402]

Amazing how all these out of work "poor" youths are rocking about on £100 trainers, designer gear and organising all this agro with their £300 blackberries. 

I hear what you're saying, however, my girlfriend works for the NHS and does many home visits around South London into a lot of the high rise flats etc. One thing she said that is fairly common is that a lot of them have massive TV's and Sky TV. Now you and I both know neither of those are cheap but I certainly wouldn't call these people affluent. To me it suggests that their priorities have maybe been influenced by our consumerist culture. When someone sacrifices other aspects of their lives, such as making ends meet, to have these possessions, I would look at society. I'm a big believer of looking at cause as well as managing the symptoms.

I also want to make clear that I abhor the behaviour I'm seeing. I just hope we learn from it and address the underlying issues as well as restoring order and bringing those responsible to task.

[Michael2402]

Fuck. This. Shit.

This is so sad to see.

[leafinsectman (Dan)]

This is so sad to see.

Sooooo messed up. It's all over the news. I think he's a Malaysian overseas student who hasn't been in the UK for long. His parents want him to come home after seeing this. I hope he has super super awesome luck and gets lots of chicks after he recovers from this shit.

[Jordan]

Dear English youths running around England rioting,

Go.  Fuck.  Yourselves.

These riots are utter bullshit and completely embarrassing.

[FASTorSLOW]

I live in London, and am currently between homes (not homeless, just strategically spending a month crashing on people's sofas and having fun before I go back to my MA), so spent some time of the riots in Mile End, and some in Hoxton (both in trendy east London, of mixed cultures, and, in the case of the former, with a storied history of violence.)

Aside from my local Budgens (dunno if they exist in the us, it's a chain of convenience stores, but never massive ones, almost always pretty small) got smashed up (saw a video of it on youtube just after it happened!), but aside from that I saw nothing where I was.

I've gotta say though, there certainly was a palpable fear on the streets on tus morning - shops closing early, people really rising to get home, and the whole place felt very empty.

I had to swap houses and take my iMac with me - it's in a very inconspicuous box, and I was fully prepared to have to send some threatening glances around if anyone was gonna try and take it... it seems pretty fucked up that I should have to feel this was at four in the afternoon...

Regardless though, I think that the nihilistic short term thinking on which these riots were predecated is actually something that had to be articulated sooner or later. If you have a while culture and society screaming that your worth is based on the accumulation of items and wealth, and then with the economic collapse, have people realise that they will never get these things - I can make the connection that malaise and apathy turn to rampant violence when people realise they can actually just circumvent society's rules and TAKE these items...

Suffice to say I hope that this causes a boot of a revolution in western politics - it's evident that things just don't work the way they are supposed to, and people are wising up to that. I'm not religious, but it almost feels as if the country is having a crisis of faith in the status quo...

I just hope that positive things come from these awful scenes, that many people shouldn't feel that acting like that is okay - the fact they do shows that there is something hugely wrong with our culture and society.

sorry that's a long post, but it's been a crazy few days...

[leafinsectman (Dan)]

London Riots 2011: Three Killed in Birmingham as Unrest Spreads to Midlands
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/195557/20110810/uk-riots-birminham-looters-midlands-killed.htm

UK riots: father of Birmingham man killed in clashes calls for calm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8694044/UK-riots-father-of-Birmingham-man-killed-in-clashes-calls-for-calm.html

It's one thing if you wanna go looting, it's another to hurt and kill some guys. That's fucked up. At least the dad is calling for calm and not going all Frank Castle on everyone.

[William Joseph Dunn]

[Julian Lytle]

I'm surprised something like this haven't sooner.

Old white dudes been eating too long.

I ain't condoning but I ain't surprised.

This shit ain't no different than Do The Right Thing.

[Chris]

I'm surprised something like this haven't sooner.

Old white dudes been eating too long.

I ain't condoning but I ain't surprised.

This shit ain't no different than Do The Right Thing.

Julian, there are a lot of poor Old White Dudes out there.

Sometimes a little revolution is a good thing. But when the poor are preying on other poor it's sad and depressing.
March on the government. Assemble in demonstration. Don't mug poor students.

This isn't about political activism. This is about bullies preying on the weak and looters grabbing what they can. Shameful.

[William Joseph Dunn]

Julian, there are a lot of poor Old White Dudes out there.

Sometimes a little revolution is a good thing. But when the poor are preying on other poor it's sad and depressing.
March on the government. Assemble in demonstration. Don't mug poor students.

This isn't about political activism. This is about bullies preying on the weak and looters grabbing what they can. Shameful.

I assumed Julian was referring to the royal family, which are the biggest bunch of inbred bullies there are. With the economy the way it is, it is immoral to spend what was spent on that royal wedding. According to some estimates, it could have cost the UK economy up to $50 billion:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/22/eveningnews/main20056608.shtml

But are they going to spend that kind of money to send kids to college? Not likely.