The Riots in London

I am sure the riots last week in London were quite frightening for the people who lived through them, and quite tragic for the families and friends of the five people who were killed.

But we need to take a serious look at what might have caused them.  Here is one cause: the need to be listened to when people have serious grievances.

As political and social protests grip the Middle East, are growing in Europe and a riot exploded in north London this weekend, here's a sad truth, expressed by a Londoner when asked by a television reporter: Is rioting the correct way to express your discontent?

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

The TV reporter from Britain's ITV had no response. So the young man pressed his advantage. "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.

Link here.

And here is another underlying factor:  Really, how can any society allow their political leaders to kill, torture, and destroy whole countries with no repercussions and then expect it's citizens to behave in a non-violent manner? And how can any society allow their financial elites to have unrestrained greed that destroys the entire economy and then expect it's citizens not to get greedy and loot when they can?

The rot starts at the top.

And here in the USA, we have a former president and vice president who have bragged about torturing other human beings on live TV with no repercussions...... so think of what that might lead to in the near future.

The Prime Minster had this to say:

Cameron:  “It is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities and their actions do not have consequences.  Well, they do have consequences.”

I first thought that maybe he was talking about the banksters and the politicians who lied us into wars of aggression, but no.... he was talking about the rioters.  Like I said above, the rot starts at the top.  Or as Naomi Klein said:  trickle down economics did not work so well, but trickle down corruption is going great (or something like that).

“Spending cuts were now hitting the poorest hardest, they said, and after tales of politicians claiming excessive expenses, alleged police corruption and bankers getting rich it was their turn to take what they wanted.”

"They set the example," said one youth after riots in the London district of Hackney. "It's time to loot."

Link here.

Yes, they set the example - and got away with it. And what the rioters did is minor compared to what the banksters and politicians did.  Violence and destruction is always wrong, and it does not become more wrong when it happens in our own country.