They are disrespectful, thieving, opportunistic, lazy, selfish, greedy bastards.

So are the media, the bankers and the politicians. Actually you could aim a fair bit of that at the middle classes too couldn’t you?

What happened last night was an expression of our society. Like it or not it is actually up to us to sort this out. No-one else will. Prevention is always better than cure right? Yes, prosecute those involved and deter others from starting but creating conditions in communities where young people actually see a point to living with respect towards each other that doesn’t rely on weapons and violence is fundemental.

We’ve got a chance now. After this and the news international stuff there’s clear evidence that our structure has failed for those at the bottom whilst those at the top get richer. It needs to be changed or this will keep happening. What we saw last night was significant. It was a message to the police – WE ARE NOT SCARED OF YOU. If the only response is force then we are sowing the seeds for more of the same.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6359363.stm

Thats where we start.

Oh and it doesn’t matter who’s fault it is.

Elfin I’m guessing her fella is a Pirate?

There you go with your ignorant racism again Hora. The woman’s nationality is irrelevant in this case, yet you chose to make a big deal about it and make stupid ignorant bigoted comments.

And that’s nothing compared to what you have to pay for this family’s home:

Great pic

Arrr mi matey

Commuting to looting… only in London.

Shame it wasn’t in Tooting…

Nothing made up RudeFred, but carry on convincing yourself it is though by all means

Not a million miles away…

hora – Member

Elfin I’m guessing her fella is a Pirate?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250993/Single-mum-finds-mansion-net-gets-YOU-pay-7-000-month-rent.html

(is that going to make Elfin cry with anger and get me banned again for upsetting a village idiot?)

WTF she’s got a child named ‘Jihad’ ?!

piha – Member

Can’t argue with what this lady is saying. Good on her.

+1 on that. Fair play.

Nobody can be that thick…

Now, that is not very tolerant.

Anyway….

Yossarian is bang on the money. But what has our beloved tory government done to this end? Undermined the whole Sure Start programme. One of the few genuinely useful things the labour lot did.

Trying to arrest the effects of gross inequality on the very poorest at an early age, thus giving them some hope of educational achievement, or at least not get left behind.

We’re going backwards, and every society has a tipping point for the inequality where it simply won’t be tolerated by the majority any more. I think we may be reaching ours

And remember its the middle classes incomes that are under assault now, while the rich get ever richer. Yes… you’re next!

Tolerance is only applicable if you agree with what the person is saying 😉

Now, that is not very tolerant.

‘Tolerance’ and ‘Hora’ aren’t two words you’d expect to hear in the same sentence…

Binners short of printing more money or amasing even more debt for our grand kids to pay off…where do you suggest the money should come from?

How about some fair taxation on the rich and a clamp down on tax avoidance.

rIf you’re down for making money, we’re about to go hard in east london tonight, yes tonight!! I don’t care what ends you’re from, we’re personally inviting you to come and get it in. Police have taken the piss for too long and to be honest I don’t know why its taken so long for us make this happen. We need a minimum of 200 hungry people. We’re not broke, but who says no to free stuff. Doesn’t matter if the police arrive cos we’ll just chase dem out because as you’ve seen on the news, they are NOT ON DIS TING. Finders keepers and we all look after each other so if you see someone getting grab by feds then make sure we help stamp out that ***** PIG. M.O.B money over bobbies =D broadcast this to everyone you know and let’s get paid!! RE SEND. LONDON MESSAGE” – Blackberry messenger

How about some fair taxation on the rich and a clamp down on tax avoidance.

Tax avoidance is completely legal. Claiming shoes you use for work against tax for example.

“we’re just showing the rich people we can do what we want”

Teenage girl on BBC news being asked why people are looting shops in their own ‘community’

There it is.

The tax system could be tightened up considerably… simply making people & corporations pay the appropriate tax rate would raise a fair bit would it not?

taxation on the rich

Don’t start picking on me 🙂

If I can’t get my skinny latte and have to pay tax I may go outside and kick a bin!

5thElefant – Member

How about some fair taxation on the rich and a clamp down on tax avoidance.

Tax avoidance is completely legal. Like claiming shoes you use for work against tax.

Bish. Bash. Bosh.

well reducing the top rate of tax isn’t the answer is it? Though that, depressingly yet again, is the tories only answer

People have to start seeing as what it is. Its a long term investment in the future of this country. If the kids that are out on the street burning stuff had actually had some investment in their education, to ensure they didn’t fall catastrophically behind their middle class pears at primary level, then maybe they wouldn’t be burning and looting.

Combine this with the removal of the EMA and the increase in student fees and what you’re effectively achieving is educational apartheid.

TJ – I’m all for “fair” taxation

why should we tax people who work for a living and give it to people who can’t be **** arsed?

What’s “fair” about that?

have we done these 2 yet? (sorry cant be bothered reading 28 pages)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424

had actually had some investment in their education, to ensure they didn’t fall catastrophically behind their middle class pears at primary level, then maybe they wouldn’t be burning and looting.

Education, education, education, perhaps? Now where have I heard that before?

Nice pears, by the way! 😉

The tax system could be tightened up considerably… simply making people & corporations pay the appropriate tax rate would raise a fair bit would it not?

Not quite that simple though, if you tighten it up too much and/or increase tax rates then these corporations and individuals will pay their tax elsewhere. It is a global economy so a lot of companies can and will simply pull out of the UK tax structure.

It’s a balancing act.

why should we tax people who work for a living and give it to people who can’t be **** arsed?

What’s “fair” about that?

Stop picking on bankers….

TandemJeremy – Member

How about some fair taxation on the rich and a clamp down on tax avoidance.

Indeed. And avoid wasting money sending military into other countries on the pretence that it ‘makes our society safer’

terrorism- the biggest threat to safety on the streets of the capital- remember that one?!
😆

Binners, perhaps if they thought that they actually needed to work hard and make an effort at school, it would make a difference?

Why bother making an effort, cause if you don’t, then the state will house you and feed you anyway! working is a mugs game! the state gives me free money without having to!

All this political point scoring needs to stop. Take note flashy.

sorry if this has been posted already

I tolerate Pirates. Especially if they have nice Parrots

I’m taking it the people who are expressing views about the ‘feckless unemployed’ haven’t spent any time unemployed themselves recently? And I hope you never do

Believe me, the reality of life on benefits is about as far removed from the Daily Mails depiction of a nice cushy layabout lifestyle as it is possible to get. Its soul destroying!!!

Don’t have time to read all of this in my lunch hour, but TJ / Binners / Elfin / Yossarian are making the most sense.

We are most economically unequal of all the developed countries apart from America, and this huge gulf between the richest and poorest sectors needs to be reduced – there is neither need nor justification for these levels of income disparity.

My only other addition is to consider how, as a society, we can ALL (and not just the poorer sectors!) value other aspects of life than just money. The research I do on understanding what people value in life, and what they consider contributes to their ‘well-being’ does not just focus on monetary attributes, but recognises social connections, health etc. Changing our society’s aspirations away from the purely financial needs ot happen at the ‘top’ – ie lets see a lead being taken by the more money-grabbing elements in Canary Wharf, than just putting all the responsibility of the ‘poor’ to change.

going by the standard of brick throwing they really need to re-introduce cricket ball throwing back into sports syllabus. They throw like girls.

I’m quite impressed that this thread is still going, and that STW poweres that be have seen nothing yet to warrant closing it.

Perhaps the STW powers that be are out ‘shopping’ at the minute.

Yossarian is bang on the money. But what has our beloved tory government done to this end? Undermined the whole Sure Start programme. One of the few genuinely useful things the labour lot did.

You reckon? The only people who actually used Sure Start round here were the middle class mums who wanted to take their toddler to a well organised group. The people it was aimed at didn’t use it as that would involve leaving the house.

Here’s a clip of MiCycle in London being turned over. Can all the apologists explain what gives this knob heads to destroy peoples hard earned businesses?

Time for the baton rounds and night sticks. If you are on the streets causing mayhem you get a shoeing. No more police holding lines watching the mob destroy homes, businesses, cars. They should be getting stuck in and dishing out some of the only justice these yobs understand.

The disparity in income referred to above is largely self inflicted by a large part of society being quite happy to hang onto the coat tails of the welfare state and following in their non-working parents footsteps. The enormous wealth gathering by some is fairly distasteful but it’s no worse than it’s ever been in the past, it’s just gathered through different means now (banking etc)

binners – Member

I’m taking it the people who are expressing views about the ‘feckless unemployed’ haven’t spent any time unemployed themselves recently? And I hope you never do

Believe me, the reality of life on benefits is about as far removed from the Daily Mails depiction of a nice cushy layabout lifestyle as it is possible to get. Its soul destroying!!!

probably not as soul destroying however as being woken up by partying ‘never-want-to-be-employed’ in the flat above you at 3am when you’re trying to get some kip before the days work that you know will leave you little better off than them at the end of the month

binners – Member
I’m taking it the people who are expressing views about the ‘feckless unemployed’ haven’t spent any time unemployed themselves recently? And I hope you never do

Believe me, the reality of life on benefits is about as far removed from the Daily Mails depiction of a nice cushy layabout lifestyle as it is possible to get. Its soul destroying!!

These people use benefits as a base and deal in drugs, violence and stolen goods.

In reality NO ONE can survive on benefits alone! Which begs the question, exactly what do the longterm ‘unemployed’ do here in Manchester to make ends meet?…

What have I missed?

Is it worth reading back over the last few pages?

*headbutts keyboard*

And on that note – the most brainless, moronic sweeping generalisation I’ve ever heard – I’m out