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-   -   London Riots (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/london-riots-727880/)

Almost Canadian Aug 11th 2011 1:19 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9551822)
I see a magic bullet theory being constructed all over again. I used to shop at Tottenham's retail park. No grassy knolls anywhere in sight.

She put forward a theory which, those of us that have actually shot at something in anger, will realise is very plausible. Time will tell what actually happened.

Keep sitting in your armchair.

London Mike Aug 11th 2011 1:26 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by Almost Canadian (Post 9552687)
She put forward a theory which, those of us that have actually shot at something in anger, will realise is very plausible. Time will tell what actually happened.

Keep sitting in your armchair.

Wow, remind me never to run into you Mr Angry.

And so, what are you - not in your armchair; on high alert; waiting for some action, cowboy?

Almost Canadian Aug 11th 2011 1:29 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9551850)
Shut down BBM instantly. Those using social media as a force for good used Twitter and Facebook not something private and encrypted. I agree with Greenhill that there was organization behind this; anyone thinking that this was just stupid opportunism is naive, though I'm sure many kids in the crowd did jump on the bandwagon.

Tell me, oh wise one, what legal authority would you have used to achieve this? When would you have done this? I am sure that you are aware the RIM have opposed such tactics in other jurisdictions in the past.


Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9551850)
Had Johnson and Cameron back sooner from their beach holidays and not in response to seeing Clegg and Livingstone out on the streets much sooner. If Cameron claims any credit for the shut down of these riots he's a bigger prick than I think he is already. Deploying so many police to the capital on day 3 from forces around the UK merely helped to fuel the expansion of the problems to other cities. 100 per cent this was about damage limitation in the eyes of the IOC.

Do you honestly believe that Cameron was incapable of providing instructions via phone? Do you honestly believe that seeing any policitian actually on the street would have prevented the mob continuing with its actions? Do you believe that Cameron would have had a greater impact than King Canute did?


Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9551850)
Probably been tougher on the first day. The police were so terrified of a repeat of 1985 that I think they almost helped empower the rioters.

The benefit of hindsight. What do you mean by tougher? Hit them on the head with a baton, push them over, shoot them? One wonders what armchair experts like you would be saying now if they did.


Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9551850)
If I was Cameron I'd be thinking: did I contribute to this problem by shafting Britain's most deprived people with my policies these past 14 months while at the same time handing out plenty to Britain's most elite and wealthy 1 per cent?

I don't doubt for a minute that he is doing so. But, once again, what would you have done to resolve the financial crisis? Please be as specific as possible.


Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9551850)
Just to be clear on this I do not condone the violence or troubles at all. It's sickening. But, filling our jails with many more young people is wrong. Let's punish the ring-leaders really hard but get the rest on the streets doing some community service.

What is hard punishment? Are you arguing that only middle aged and old people should go to jail? If the troublemakers are not to be sent to jail (assuming they are convicted) what would you do with them?

Smacks of this to me:


Almost Canadian Aug 11th 2011 1:30 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9552702)
Wow, remind me never to run into you Mr Angry.

And so, what are you - not in your armchair; on high alert; waiting for some action, cowboy?

Thank you for that.

I am not critizing those that, I suspect, did their best to ensure that as much property as possible was protected, within the legal framework within which they operate.

ninaDGBCA Aug 11th 2011 5:01 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 9545002)
You see a lot of similarites to these so-called riots. Cultural or ethnic tensions build between the dominant and minority communities and finally the minority community frustration builds to a point where violence breaks out. I'm not an expert in social disturbances but see very similar patterns, whether its in the US, France or the UK. And of course its not ideal for either side, but it happens and unless we understand why, it'll keep happening.


totally disagree. We've lived in a rougher part of Manchester and saw all the workshy scumbags ever day that were rioting now and looting and thinking it's their right to take from the rich. Money doesn't grow on trees and you won't become rich by sitting on your bum and living off the taxpayers money. I was talking to my friends and family in Manchester, Birmingham and the Midlands and they all said it was a lot of white scallies taking what not was theirs. It's about time that the government get a bit tougher and actually takes their benefits and council houses. There are loads of families out there that genuinly need help and not just take advantage of the system. Most of the time your live is what you make of it and whinig and moaning won't help and being the "minority" and maybe sometimes being a bit forgotten doesn't justify breaking the law, destroying other peoples properties and possesions and definitely won't help to be liked more. So rant over ;)

MarkG Aug 11th 2011 6:19 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by ninaDGBCA (Post 9553079)
It's about time that the government get a bit tougher and actually takes their benefits and council houses.

But then what do you do? It's not as though they're likely to get jobs or that anyone would want to hire them even if they were willing to work for a living.

ann m Aug 11th 2011 6:40 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by London Mike (Post 9551850)
The police were so terrified of a repeat of 1985 that I think they almost helped empower the rioters.

I think the UK gets the policing it deserves these days. :sneaky:

* No coppers out there fancy ending up like PC Keith Blakelock. I wouldn't have gone up against an angry mob - just me and one or two colleagues, to save some tv's and mobile phones. Not anymore - you saw how mindless and violent they were. Maybe it's good I no longer do that job - it's thankless at the best of times.

* Many coppers nowadays, while vastly outnumbered in those early days, will have been reluctant to approach, defend, hit out at anything and anybody for fear of mis-judging their actions, strength or timing by a nano-second, and having the country, media and courts dissect their every action with the wonder of hindsight and from the comfort of that ever-popular armchair. It was probably deemed by management, knowing resources they had available, that it was better to sit back, watch, photograph and then round up offenders later.

* At any time on any given day, I'd guess that only about a quarter (maybe a third) of police officers are available for actual policing.
I mean, they get days off now, and can book holiday with their families, and sit at desks filling in a ton of reports and accountability forms. It's taken three days to round up numbers, cancel leave (for those that didn't bugger off camping in the Dordogne) and dig out more senior officers from HQ.

If they are robust now, it is apparently too late - and if they are robust now, they are bullies.

Hey ho. My tuppence worth.

Oink Aug 11th 2011 7:01 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by ninaDGBCA (Post 9553079)
totally disagree. We've lived in a rougher part of Manchester and saw all the workshy scumbags ever day that were rioting now and looting and thinking it's their right to take from the rich. Money doesn't grow on trees and you won't become rich by sitting on your bum and living off the taxpayers money. I was talking to my friends and family in Manchester, Birmingham and the Midlands and they all said it was a lot of white scallies taking what not was theirs. It's about time that the government get a bit tougher and actually takes their benefits and council houses. There are loads of families out there that genuinly need help and not just take advantage of the system. Most of the time your live is what you make of it and whinig and moaning won't help and being the "minority" and maybe sometimes being a bit forgotten doesn't justify breaking the law, destroying other peoples properties and possesions and definitely won't help to be liked more. So rant over ;)


When at the outset people launch straight into using pejorative terms it completely discredits the argument and shows their position to be simply ill-informed and unthoughtful prattle. And I would argue, that positions such as these are a major contributing factor in the dumbing-down and disconnection of the wider discourse within and about British society.

JamesM Aug 11th 2011 7:29 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by ninaDGBCA (Post 9553079)
totally disagree. We've lived in a rougher part of Manchester and saw all the workshy scumbags ever day that were rioting now and looting and thinking it's their right to take from the rich. Money doesn't grow on trees and you won't become rich by sitting on your bum and living off the taxpayers money. I was talking to my friends and family in Manchester, Birmingham and the Midlands and they all said it was a lot of white scallies taking what not was theirs. It's about time that the government get a bit tougher and actually takes their benefits and council houses. There are loads of families out there that genuinly need help and not just take advantage of the system. Most of the time your live is what you make of it and whinig and moaning won't help and being the "minority" and maybe sometimes being a bit forgotten doesn't justify breaking the law, destroying other peoples properties and possesions and definitely won't help to be liked more. So rant over ;)

I say kick them out and leave the UK for the hardworking immigrants.

Souvy Aug 11th 2011 8:02 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 9553319)
When at the outset people launch straight into using pejorative terms it completely discredits the argument and shows their position to be simply ill-informed and unthoughtful prattle. And I would argue, that positions such as these are a major contributing factor in the dumbing-down and disconnection of the wider discourse within and about British society.

There is one comma in that rant and it is in the wrong place.

Country. Dogs. Going.

Oink Aug 11th 2011 8:05 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by Souvy (Post 9553438)
There is one comma in that rant and it is in the wrong place.

Country. Dogs. Going.

No such place as wrong placed commas. Punctuation is simply style and yes, I'm very stylish. :p

JamesM Aug 11th 2011 8:09 am

Re: London Riots
 
Something else to read on the issue:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14496461

Basically it says the British are still not as goot at rioting as the French.

Oink Aug 11th 2011 8:18 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by JamesM (Post 9553459)
Something else to read on the issue:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14496461

Basically it says the British are still not as goot at rioting as the French.

But I think the water cannon is a bigger deterrent in France as we all know they don't liked to be washed. ;)

Alan2005 Aug 11th 2011 8:21 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by JamesM (Post 9553459)
Something else to read on the issue:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14496461

Basically it says the British are still not as goot at rioting as the French.

I don't know. Given the police tactic of kettling, these recent riots have been quite clever. Small groups - in and out of phone shops before plod turns up. That's some smart thinking by the chavs.

Souvy Aug 11th 2011 8:24 am

Re: London Riots
 

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 9553445)
No such place as wrong placed commas. Punctuation is simply style and yes, I'm very stylish. :p

And yet you frequent The Keg.:rolleyes:


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