Anarchy in the UK

**Patrick Gerard** · 08-10-2011, 12:13 AM

So... I'm just getting caught up on the riots, which seem timed along with allegations of police corruption, bad race relations, stupid austerity measures, a 600 point stock market decline, reports of low social mobility, reports of a huge wealth disparity gap and the shooting of an alleged drug dealer who hadn't pulled his gun. Every news outlet is covering the "what", "when", and "where" of the riots but there's mostly silence and little agreement on the "how", "who", or "why."

So... What's going on?

And... with that said, speaking from a very blind perspective, longterm, I think we need taxation that is tied to wealth distribution (the rate of wealth inequality should automatically adjust tax rates and funding for social programs) and an end to short selling stocks or repackaging investments or investment as short term speculation. No one should profit from failure. Period. We rise together or fall together. Nobody wins by everyone else losing and I think we may be positioned at a point in history where that line in the sand needs to be drawn and we need massive social overhaul to keep people from benefiting while masses suffer. That seems like a part of it to me.

Or maybe all those students and minorities are just some massive cartel with an anarchy-themed blackberry app. Who knows?

I'm trying my best to read between the lines here but I have never seen such woefully inadequate coverage of an event that is so heavily reported on without any solid answers into the deeper nature of what's happening. So I can't be sure that last statement is entirely relevant.

I was saying very early in the year that 2011 was shaping to be the year of revolution but I'm a bit baffled to see it hitting the West this fast or this fortuitously timed.

**Cam63** · 08-10-2011, 12:29 AM

" Arseholes doin' what they do ", is my answer.

**zemo** · 08-10-2011, 12:37 AM

's easy. The British police has been getting more and more radical and un-controlled each and every year, and racism runs rampant in the whole structure, corruption not far behind. If you are black, depending on where you are, you are going to be searched by police 6 to 27 times more frequently than white people. And the government is in full-swing reducing costs, predominantly hitting, what a surprise, the poor, while letting the rich off lightly.

I'm thinking that, thrill-seekers and criminals left aside, the oppressed are returning the hate they are facing every day.

**Alan Lynch** · 08-10-2011, 01:14 AM

I reckon the coverage isn't asking too much about the "why" for a few reasons. The opportunistic looting for example, has shifted perceptions quite a lot. So rather than a sad - yet understandable - outpouring of genuine anger, the majority taking part seem to be in it for themselves. They've crowded out the people with genuine greivances, which is a shame.

I imagine there's a worry about using tragic scenes to score political points, especially when every government for the last 20-30 years has had a hand in putting these communities down. Labour can't say "the Tories did it" because Labour helped along the way - and vice-versa.

Then there's the simple fact that rolling news channels live for this stuff. They show the sensationalist footage of buildings burning and masked men on a rampage because that hooks viewers. Sensible debate with schoolkids fed up of being randomly searched isn't sexy enough. There's plenty of discussion online, but little of it has made it's way to the TV as far as I can tell.

**Tobias M** · 08-10-2011, 05:03 AM

Originally Posted by Alan Lynch

I imagine there's a worry about using tragic scenes to score political points, especially when every government for the last 20-30 years has had a hand in putting these communities down. Labour can't say "the Tories did it" because Labour helped along the way - and vice-versa.

This. Right here. Came across this blog entry by a London teacher - http://rosamicula.livejournal.com/540476.html

All governments of all hues since the seventies have failed to address this problem; the only difference between them is the narrative they have fed their respective voters about it.

**AndrewCrossett** · 08-10-2011, 05:39 AM

I guarantee you 99.9% of these rioters have no social or political reasons whatsoever for what they're doing. I'd be surprised if a third of them could even name the man who got shot by the police.

Things they have in common:
a) No concept of empathy -- their wants and whims trump everyone else's needs, and even lives
b) No concept of consequences -- they've never been made to suffer any
c) Plenty of sense of entitlement
d) Difficulty distinguishing between reality and video games (but this is the fault of sociopaths, not game designers -- people are responsible for their own actions)

And there are a lot of them. Enough so we could talk about them as a significant percentage of the population, especially among those who are college age or younger.

**Keith P.** · 08-10-2011, 07:17 AM

Ugh...chavs.

**Corrina** · 08-10-2011, 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by AndrewCrossett

I guarantee you 99.9% of these rioters have no social or political reasons whatsoever for what they're doing. I'd be surprised if a third of them could even name the man who got shot by the police.

Things they have in common:
a) No concept of empathy -- their wants and whims trump everyone else's needs, and even lives
b) No concept of consequences -- they've never been made to suffer any
c) Plenty of sense of entitlement
d) Difficulty distinguishing between reality and video games (but this is the fault of sociopaths, not game designers -- people are responsible for their own actions)

And there are a lot of them. Enough so we could talk about them as a significant percentage of the population, especially among those who are college age or younger.

People do things as part of a crowd or mob that they would not do as individuals.

**AndrewCrossett** · 08-10-2011, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Corrina

People do things as part of a crowd or mob that they would not do as individuals.

But they seem to have no concept that the things they are doing are hurting people and having consequences beyond their own enjoyment and enrichment. I've seen several interviews with rioters where they basically say "I'm having fun and getting free stuff... what's the problem?"

If you replied "you're injuring people and destroying the homes and shops of innocent people, who have nothing to do with the government or the police," they'd just stare at you blankly for a few seconds, and repeat "But I'm having fun and getting free stuff."

The concept of empathy with other human beings just doesn't compute with them.

**Benel Germosen** · 08-10-2011, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by AndrewCrossett

But they seem to have no concept that the things they are doing are hurting people and having consequences beyond their own enjoyment and enrichment. I've seen several interviews with rioters where they basically say "I'm having fun and getting free stuff... what's the problem?"

If you replied "you're injuring people and destroying the homes and shops of innocent people, who have nothing to do with the government or the police," they'd just stare at you blankly for a few seconds, and repeat "But I'm having fun and getting free stuff."

The concept of empathy with other human beings just doesn't compute with them.

Because they're in a mob, they no longer see themselves as individuals. It's kind of the like the Milgrim experiment, except the mob is the person charge. " Well, I saw other people taking advantage and I decided to take advantage too ". I think the majority of these people are just slimy opportunist. Which is even worst. Because they do have empathy and they do understand that they're hurting other people. There's just this big disconnect because "well, other people are doing it."