It turns out many of the people they are arresting are not the poor, disenfranchised, immigrants.
Looks like lots of middle class Brits thought grabbing a tv was a good idea.
Dude has a major case of Indigenous White Male syndrome, knows all the answers if only people would listen (he studied some Rapz). But it's political correctness gone mad!
There are A LOT of riots in the UK, at least every 4-5 years in major cities somewhere in the country, and who knows what else in small towns that doesn't get widely reported but where local police forces are overwhelmed and just fall back. All kinds of reasons, from race (sometimes) to politics (often) to just plain yob culture (usually). But that shit has been going on since before any mass immigration. It is laughable to suggest that the way events unfolded had no relation to the violent and lawless tendencies that come from deep within English culture itself (across classes), ones that are plainly recognized as such - from colonialism, to football hooliganism, to London mayor's antics in the Bullingdon Club, to even just having a healthy disrespect for authority - and definitely not because of 'imported Jamaican patois'. It's really just a deeply ingrained part of English culture and actually somewhat necessary in some respects. The UK did a lot of things first for having these traits, including abolishing slavery.
Taken individually, the vast majority of these acts of "violent shopping" occur every hour of the day 365 days a year in many consumer countries (since consumption was also linked to gang culture by Starkey) and to be honest, many of them would not be that different from what is considered acceptable laddish/laddette behaviour, or at worst, foolish shit you do as a kid. Shoplifting, moving stolen goods, vandalism, violence - these are all completely colour blind behaviours in the UK, and totally the norm. I am talking pretty much everything apart from vehicular homicide and torching a massive warehouse.
The only difference is the fact that shit blew the fuck up. That's what people need to figure out why - not just shake their heads at young people embracing gang (meaning black) culture or to blame rampant consumerism, as if the middle class middle Englanders have no impact on that equation.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
Why are folks letting disconnected old fools derail this into racial sidetracks?
Because this is clearly how a lot of people see it. Whether disconnected, old and foolish or not, I believe it indicates a simmering notion that can now come to boil with (perceived) justification after the riots. I know I am not there - and I would not even limit it to England* - but I don't think it should be dismissed. Climate and all that...
*It is a little chilling that not even a month after people are killed in Norway as a reaction to, amongst other things, multiculturalism, folks feel no way about echoing the same sentiments as Breivik.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
There was a doozy of a comment on one of the earliest pieces on the riots on the Telegraph website - something like, "Anders, where are you now that we need you?"
After some of the things I've read and heard this week, it's difficult not to wonder how many people like David Starkey, whether they be seasoned media commentators or otherwise, secretly entertain the idea that Breivik's was at least an understandable response to this supposed "tide" of mulitculturalism.
Why are folks letting disconnected old fools derail this into racial sidetracks?
Because this is clearly how a lot of people see it. Whether disconnected, old and foolish or not, I believe it indicates a simmering notion that can now come to boil with (perceived) justification after the riots. I know I am not there - and I would not even limit it to England* - but I don't think it should be dismissed. Climate and all that...
*It is a little chilling that not even a month after people are killed in Norway as a reaction to, amongst other things, multiculturalism, folks feel no way about echoing the same sentiments as Breivik.
Talking about race apropros of these events is very much to miss the point IMHO.
How many is the "a lot" you mention? In the context of the national dialogue on this, a few eloquent and manipulative throwbacks evoke a handful of buzzwords like 'Enoch' or 'immigration' and thank you all, we're in a cul-de-sac as far as addressing the causes and remedies of the riots go.
Racists will raise the same old points and touchstones because it is in their interests to do so. And those who are powerless to ignore those enticements to react then bring the whole fulcrum of argument to a place where it wasn't, and where it shouldn't be.
Starkey has been a known nutter with much form for a long time now.
Why do the Beeb and them wheel him out? The adrenaline rush of causing controversy is, I expect, the producer's motivation, no doubt masquerading as 'presenting the balanced view'.
Comments
'The whites have become black'
Hopefully a career-destroying phrase.
"Shopping with violence"
Looks like lots of middle class Brits thought grabbing a tv was a good idea.
Where are these peoples parents?
Dude has a major case of Indigenous White Male syndrome, knows all the answers if only people would listen (he studied some Rapz). But it's political correctness gone mad!
There are A LOT of riots in the UK, at least every 4-5 years in major cities somewhere in the country, and who knows what else in small towns that doesn't get widely reported but where local police forces are overwhelmed and just fall back. All kinds of reasons, from race (sometimes) to politics (often) to just plain yob culture (usually). But that shit has been going on since before any mass immigration. It is laughable to suggest that the way events unfolded had no relation to the violent and lawless tendencies that come from deep within English culture itself (across classes), ones that are plainly recognized as such - from colonialism, to football hooliganism, to London mayor's antics in the Bullingdon Club, to even just having a healthy disrespect for authority - and definitely not because of 'imported Jamaican patois'. It's really just a deeply ingrained part of English culture and actually somewhat necessary in some respects. The UK did a lot of things first for having these traits, including abolishing slavery.
Taken individually, the vast majority of these acts of "violent shopping" occur every hour of the day 365 days a year in many consumer countries (since consumption was also linked to gang culture by Starkey) and to be honest, many of them would not be that different from what is considered acceptable laddish/laddette behaviour, or at worst, foolish shit you do as a kid. Shoplifting, moving stolen goods, vandalism, violence - these are all completely colour blind behaviours in the UK, and totally the norm. I am talking pretty much everything apart from vehicular homicide and torching a massive warehouse.
The only difference is the fact that shit blew the fuck up. That's what people need to figure out why - not just shake their heads at young people embracing gang (meaning black) culture or to blame rampant consumerism, as if the middle class middle Englanders have no impact on that equation.
Great analysis of Starkey's outburst and some of the responses to it here.
I'd love to get Big Stacks' take on this.
These riots are (or rather, were) overwhelmingly about the disenfranchised against The Franchise.
All colours and creeds are well represented on both sides of that battle, and both have a whole lot to answer for.
Because this is clearly how a lot of people see it. Whether disconnected, old and foolish or not, I believe it indicates a simmering notion that can now come to boil with (perceived) justification after the riots. I know I am not there - and I would not even limit it to England* - but I don't think it should be dismissed. Climate and all that...
*It is a little chilling that not even a month after people are killed in Norway as a reaction to, amongst other things, multiculturalism, folks feel no way about echoing the same sentiments as Breivik.
After some of the things I've read and heard this week, it's difficult not to wonder how many people like David Starkey, whether they be seasoned media commentators or otherwise, secretly entertain the idea that Breivik's was at least an understandable response to this supposed "tide" of mulitculturalism.
Talking about race apropros of these events is very much to miss the point IMHO.
How many is the "a lot" you mention? In the context of the national dialogue on this, a few eloquent and manipulative throwbacks evoke a handful of buzzwords like 'Enoch' or 'immigration' and thank you all, we're in a cul-de-sac as far as addressing the causes and remedies of the riots go.
Racists will raise the same old points and touchstones because it is in their interests to do so. And those who are powerless to ignore those enticements to react then bring the whole fulcrum of argument to a place where it wasn't, and where it shouldn't be.
Starkey has been a known nutter with much form for a long time now.
Why do the Beeb and them wheel him out? The adrenaline rush of causing controversy is, I expect, the producer's motivation, no doubt masquerading as 'presenting the balanced view'.