London's Detroit 1967?

[Lowell]

London is ablaze and widespread looting and arson is occurring in several separate districts for a third day. Having just watched some very dramatic footing via Al Jazeera, which has extensive coverage, some themes of Detroit 1967 are emerging starting with hot weather and the spark of yet another controversial police action. Rioting has spread to Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool.

The prime minister is running home from vacation and major sporting events are being cancelled, possibly high profile India England cricket test match.

[pkbroch]

Having just heard from friends in Birmingham UK, young thugs looting and stealing from Adias, an electronic store and Armani. Same on Bond Street in London.

[pkbroch]

The BBC is closer to the UK than Al Jazerra.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ngham-14452468

[GOAT]

No different than the rioting in the late 1960's and seventies there. Much ado about opportunity than anything else.

[lilpup]

good thing they don't have guns, I guess...

[oldredfordette]

Chickens coming home to roost, unfortunately. Take climbing unemployment, systemic police harassment, draconian social cuts, presto! Social unrest. It's always helpful to focus on the looting to change the subject, btw. That way we can discuss how poor people really only want shoes and televisions and ignore the climate that brought rioting about.

[Gannon]

good thing they don't have guns, I guess...

Too late...a young man was shot and killed this morning. I don't have specifics, heard in on WDET...

[royce]

I guess this is a mild thread jack, but why in our vocabulary does the word riot become "riots" so quickly. How does "rioting" become a plural event? Is it because it takes place in more than one section of a city at the same time? Is it because it takes place on more than one day? When is a "riot" just a "riot?" Personally, I prefer the word rioting. It avoids the confusion.

[Pam]

Chickens coming home to roost, unfortunately. Take climbing unemployment, systemic police harassment, draconian social cuts, presto! Social unrest. It's always helpful to focus on the looting to change the subject, btw. That way we can discuss how poor people really only want shoes and televisions and ignore the climate that brought rioting about.

There have been a lot of peaceful protests in England because of the social climate so the question still remains why do some people riot and some don't. I think you have to throw psychology in the mix too.

[Gannon]

I guess this is a mild thread jack, but why in our vocabulary does the word riot become "riots" so quickly. How does "rioting" become a plural event? Is it because it takes place in more than one section of a city at the same time? Is it because it takes place on more than one day? When is a "riot" just a "riot?" Personally, I prefer the word rioting. It avoids the confusion.

I dunno, I'm always hoping to read it in the PAST tense...rioted. Ex-rioteer. Gone to Meet His Maker.

Sorry, lapsed into some Monty Python there...

[Detroitnerd]

Here's an excerpt from a blog at http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08...of-london.html

I think it explains some of the reasons people reject peaceful protests [[which were going on) and take to rioting.

===================

In one NBC report, a young man in Tottenham was asked if rioting really achieved anything:

"Yes," said the young man. "You wouldn't be talking to me now if we didn't riot, would you?"


"Two months ago we marched to Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 of us, all blacks, and it was peaceful and calm and you know what? Not a word in the press. Last night a bit of rioting and looting and look around you."


Eavesdropping from among the onlookers, I looked around. A dozen TV crews and newspaper reporters interviewing the young men everywhere ‘’’


There are communities all over the country that nobody paid attention to unless there had recently been a riot or a murdered child. Well, they’re paying attention now.

[Ray1936]

Chickens coming home to roost, unfortunately. Take climbing unemployment, systemic police harassment, draconian social cuts, presto! Social unrest. It's always helpful to focus on the looting to change the subject, btw. That way we can discuss how poor people really only want shoes and televisions and ignore the climate that brought rioting about.

Yeah, rioting really cures everything.

[Gannon]

I didn't hear her say anything of the sort, Ray.

Although the post before hers is quite telling indeed.

In one NBC report, a young man in Tottenham was asked if rioting really achieved anything:

"Yes," said the young man. "You wouldn't be talking to me now if we didn't riot, would you?"

It was the government and medias NON-response that forced this action, born of frustration at the status quo.

Outside of a few trigger-happy wildcard anarchists, I'm pretty sure nobody ever WANTS to riot.


Sincerely,
John

[ndavies]

Looks like it's getting worse, You can't buy a gun in the UK however:

The biggest UK sporting good sales over the last 24 hours.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/movers-and-shakers/sports/

I didn't realize Britain was so into baseball.

[Ray1936]

"I didn't hear her say anything of the sort, Ray."

I meant that to be in agreement with her, and throwing rocks at the rioting taking place instead.
I guess it came out wrong.

[Whitehouse]

It's totally indiscribable what's going on there. The match England vs. the Netherlands has been cancelled. And in the streets things are getting stranger by the hour. Check out these pictures.

[Pam]

http://news.yahoo.com/londoners-stri...155127609.html

Brooms raised defiantly in the air, Londoners began cleaning up their city Tuesday after a third night of riots, with a Twitter and Facebook campaign rallying people to the most damaged areas.

[Pam]

Here's an excerpt from a blog at http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08...of-london.html

I think it explains some of the reasons people reject peaceful protests [[which were going on) and take to rioting.

===================

In one NBC report, a young man in Tottenham was asked if rioting really achieved anything:

"Yes," said the young man. "You wouldn't be talking to me now if we didn't riot, would you?"


"Two months ago we marched to Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 of us, all blacks, and it was peaceful and calm and you know what? Not a word in the press. Last night a bit of rioting and looting and look around you."


Eavesdropping from among the onlookers, I looked around. A dozen TV crews and newspaper reporters interviewing the young men everywhere ‘’’


There are communities all over the country that nobody paid attention to unless there had recently been a riot or a murdered child. Well, they’re paying attention now.

Sorry, that's really no excuse to burn buildings and steal stuff. How does that get back at the police for shooting that guy? Now the police will come down twice as hard on these neighborhoods.

[Red Devil]

Those kids should be glad they are in London and not in Korea. Those cops are nasty to protesters...God only knows what they'd do to rioters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7Drx9X0BaE

[Gannon]

"I didn't hear her say anything of the sort, Ray."

I meant that to be in agreement with her, and throwing rocks at the rioting taking place instead.
I guess it came out wrong.

Got it! Thanks.



Does anyone really think this couldn't happen here?! Soon?


http://www.freep.com/article/2011080...text|FRONTPAGE

Federal assistance may be running out for nearly 14,000 of Michigan’s needy families – their five year’s having expired and the state no longer willing to continue extending the time beyond that through hardship exceptions.

It’s a change in state policy prompted by the tight budget.


At the same time, the state is also revamping how it hands out the assistance, and plans to limit the total time in most cases to four years, likely beginning Oct. 1, according Maura Corrigan, director of the Michigan Department of Human Services.


"In the long-run, the move will help Michigan’s families," she said today.

“I’m concerned, yes,” Corrigan said of families who will lose benefits, “but we’re here to help them make that transition – to fulfill the intent of the law and to get them to self-sufficiency.”

It doesn't look pretty...the squeeze is on worldwide. Just wait until the food fails...we're in a drought nearly throughout the nation. Ugh.


Sincerely,
John

[Gannon]

Those kids should be glad they are in London and not in Korea. Those cops are nasty to protesters...God only knows what they'd do to rioters.

We'll all learn how deadly plastic bullets can be tonight...the authorization to use them has been made.

[oldredfordette]

I knew what you meant, Ray.

[Baselinepunk]

.... and there ain't a thing .... you can do . . . .



Let's add London, along with New Orleans, to the comparison metric to the fine Establishment along the Strait.

[Lowell]

Here is a very intriguing interview with a renowned broadcaster and columnist,. More echoes of Detroit 1967. Especially the parts about treatment of youth by police combined with their seemingly hopeless futures. Clueless BBC interviewer gets chew up then insulting. Luckily someone video-ed it off TV.



Dramatic cavalry charge and fires...

[animatedmartian]

Let's add L.A. too. I was going to say Vancouver, but that'd be if the Red Wings became a horrible team, knock on wood.