So there’s no more burning High Streets or mindless people running amok on BBC live anymore. The riot threads have dropped off the front page. People are starting to actually think about the stupid crap they’ve typed on Facebook. People at the centre of it are trying to re-piece their lives.

so what was that all about? and what to do about it?

Been trying to get my head around it, trying to see it from all sides(as well as my silly little brain allows). I think it is a wake up call, it is a certain strata of society that is seriously miffed off, with no respect, and won’t be ignored anymore. It’s a widening division between the haves and the have nots. Those with and those with nothing to lose. Government should at least be trying to bridge this gap not widen it. I don’t know.

Could see some u-turns. More prison places, less lenient sentencing, less restraint of the police. Yep, a certain strata of society won’t be ignored any more.

I’d imagine the cops will have more powers. but why were they held back so much in the first place? I suppose cos it could’ve got nasty.. but yeah.. it’s a riot!

It’d be nice to see policy for prevention, not just cure.

I suspect we will have a sharp turn to more punitive on polices and judicial policy. Probably some eye catching initiative that actually means nothing very much. Maybe a proper inquiry along the lines of the Scarman report. that will get kicked into the long grass

I’d imagine the cops will have more powers. but why were they held back so much in the first place? I suppose cos it could’ve got nasty.. but yeah.. it’s a riot!

What law or regulation was/is holding the police back?
The anti terrorism legislation has given them more power than they have had in living memory, prison sentences are longer and more are sentenced to prison than ever before. So I am unclear as to what is “holding them back”.

Nick Clegg was on Radio 4 earlier, one of the things he said was ‘We’ve seen the disease, it’s time for the cure’.

Now, I love Robert Smith as much as the next man, but even a re-release of Love Cats may not be enough to solve deep societal ills.

I mean David Cameron was blah blah blah blah, but didn’t seem too concerned at all about the reasons. Stuff like this doesn’t happen without a reason. It’s not just opportunistic theiving, it’s not just kids on the rampage cos they’re bored. It’s not just a whole pile of things. You can pluck the leaves and trim the branches, but I think this is a properly embedded part of society that is making itself heard. Like it or not. And the government have to take responsiblilty for it to a certain extent.

MSP: just watching the telly with my own eyes and riot cops not doing much. They act on some sort of orders right?

Aren’t they now allowed to ask youths to remove face masks, that’ll solve all the problems!

It’s taken a generation to create the culture that caused it. They can’t fix it over night. Other than draconian prison sentences and increased police powers, but that’ll be expensive.

Don’t expect any fixes soon. If ever.

MSP: just watching the telly with my own eyes and riot cops not doing much. They act on some sort of orders right?

Ah right, I thout you were speaking more figuratively about police powers in general, not about the actual tactics on the street.

Well during the student riots, there were certainly occasions they held back in order to allow the media to get the films and pictures of the damage being caused, it was more important to win the fight for minds over the airways than the fight on the ground.

From what I have seen over the past few days it looks more like they have been holding a line, trying to contain the rioters/looters. getting stuck in would probably have just scattered the troublemakers and left individual officers isolated.

From what I’ve seen on TV it seems fantastic restraint from the cops, very commendable, but the other devil in my head says, they should’ve just ran at some of them let em know who’s the boss. I’m in no way condoning giving the cops more powers! Just saying, it’s interesting how they can wade into genuine political protests, but some asshat kids robbing stuff and they stand back and watch. probably for the best in hindsight? I don’t know. It’s interesting to think about these things though.

to david cameron parents

@gmpolice are tweeting details as the rioters get sent down. On fella got 4 months for stealing a violin!

Yes, some astonishing stuff on FB. This, from an acquantance who has suddenly come over all righteously indignant at the breaking of the law despite a long involvement in supplying certain “parties” with the means to, erm, “party”:

“Am I supposed to feel sorry for them? They weren’t thinking about their families or anyone else’s when they went out on a rampage. Shouldn’t be allowed to breed in the first place”

“Personally, I’d have them put out of our misery permanantly”

Then:

“I don’t know what the solution is but whatever it is needs to be decided & dealt with immediately”

My reply: “See? Complicated problems do not have simple solutions. Least of all rabid frothings about dealing out death as a punishment for destroying property. Once you’ve dealt with the immediate punishment issue of the actual offenders, you have to work out a way to remove the causes of the rioting and looting so that it doesn’t happen again. Education, prospects, the availability of something resembling a life and the tools to get it. Any ideas?” – has not yet had a response.

interesting isn’t it Woppit. Hats off to you for saying your bit mate.if you actually did. Some people are so driven by these emotive issues they are saying daft stuff that they don’t really mean and haven’t thought about.

russell brand on the riots: pretty interesting read

http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/08/big-brother-isnt-watching-you/

Let’s see if this gets a reaction:

“…has a quick and easy final solution for those looking for quick and easy final solutions to the “Underclass problem”. Herd them all into some communal showers and lightly sprinkle with Zyklon-B. Hey presto. What do you think kids, hey?”

Uncomfortably I feel that a right wing regime benefits from not really doing anything else to reinforce ideas about the savage working class (if I say “chav” does that seem less lefty soapbox?).

The people in power are not interested. We definitely need change but our society functions on having an imbalance. You can’t have rich people without poor and they don’t fancy giving up their position.

With lower income communities effectively taking it out on themselves a smug wave of superiority may easily lap across the consciousness of those with the power and things will stay firmly the same. or we’ll have a hollow gesture which will provide the illusion of equality.

We need to stop killing people and educate or feed as many people as we can afford to. Tuition fees have firmly disenfranchised generations of people and made education even more elitist than it was. How much do we waste spend on the military each year?

I know I’m being emotive, but if not now then when can I? At least people are thinking.

Zyklon B is a solution if you like to bang your head to black metal but using it on those who have nothing & don’t like it… put yourself in their shoes.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEitrZU-nCw[/video]

rioters will apparently be banned form facebook or some such other ridiculous little england pandering tosh according to callmedave

Well just watched the BBC London news and they interviewed two of the Looters
and asked why and they said this is just the start and there is more to come !
so theres whats coming next