In the news

http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08/panic-on-streets-of-london.html

Seriously tho - if ya gonna go looting - why not head to Knightsbridge ! not Croydon ! and Hackney ! and Streatham !

Typical !

Exactly, central London.

A lot of people on here don't seem to understand how law and order in our society works, or doesn't work in this case.

It works because people consent to be governed, and accept the rule of law. That is why we don't have armed cops, or a particularly large police force.

What we are seeing right now is that a large group of people have withdrawn their consent to be governed, and are not respecting the rule of law. If this group is sufficiently large, as we have seen, the existing forces of law may not have the numbers to restore order.

We can postulate various ways in which the imbalance of forces can be altered in the short-term so that order can be restored (water cannon, more police, paramilitarising the police, using the Army, paramilitarising sections of the civil population), but unless we figure out why such a large group of people have withdrawn (however temporarily, spuriously or irrationally) their consent to be governed, and take steps to remedy it, this will all happen again, and we will be forced to warehouse large numbers of people in prison, rather as the US has done.

Using the prison system to control people who have no stake in main-stream society, as has been shown in the US, does not work on any level, economically, socially or ethically, especially in view of the recidivism rates.

I don't think it's helpful to present the case as either condemn or understand. You can both condemn the actions, and try to understand the circumstances that lead to the actions.

Excellent post

What he said.

Lockdown at Westfield Shopping Centre. Still waiting for my boss to decide whether or not we should close.

"The Sovereign, having no force other than the legislative power, acts only by means of the laws; and the laws being solely the authentic acts of the general will, the Sovereign cannot act save when the people is assembled."
It's like all Rousseauian Social Contract shit etc....

Learnt this at 15 in O-level British Constitution, although not in these exact terms.

Hulk Hogan speaks out on youth violence in london http://audioboo.fm/boos/434660-hulk-hugan-on-uk-riots

http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08/panic-on-streets-of-london.html

Gah! She's the most over-hyped and vacuous person in existence right now (allegedly).

I barely got through the first line before it dawned on me that I must be reading some waffling rant from pennyred. I look up, and it's true. Shame on me for clicking that link, shame on you for posting it.

qwe

Sky news is showing this images of Riot Police gearing up for tonight's prevention.
Won't that just incite a bit more these already fragile minds of the 'Youth'?... just thinking..
Won't they feel even more worked up after watching that"?

doubt it. i'd put money on last night's shenanigans not being repeated tonight. last night was about opportunistic looting. now the police are ready, trebled in numbers, emboldened and possibly armed, i'd be very surprised if we see anything like yesterday.

i could be wrong, but if i had been out last night helping myself to trainers and tellys with impunity, and i was now sat at home with my loot watching the hysteria and police build up, i'd probably be planning on kicking back and chuckling at a job well done.

umm is london fields, mare st, hoxton or anywhere in hackney no go areas, trying to suss out my cycle route home..

Learnt this at 15 in O-level British Empire Constitution, although not in these exact terms.

Yes?

Gah! She's the most over-hyped and vacuous person in existence right now (allegedly).

I barely got through the first line before it dawned on me that I must be reading some waffling rant from pennyred. I look up, and it's true. Shame on me for clicking that link, shame on you for posting it.

I've never heard of her before. Is she famous on the internet?

Excellent post

Thanks. Sick of listening to various bods in media (and on here) going on about how they grew up in poor areas, my mum scrubbed the front step every day, there was never any bother round here when the Krays were in charge etc.

As ever, very little evidence based policy making.

doubt it. i'd put money on last night's shenanigans not being repeated tonight. last night was about opportunistic looting. now the police are ready, trebled in numbers, emboldened and possibly armed, i'd be very surprised if we see anything like yesterday.

i could be wrong, but if i had been out last night helping myself to trainers and tellys with impunity, and i was now sat at home with my loot watching the hysteria and police build up, i'd probably be planning on kicking back and chuckling at a job well done.

They now need DVD player, PS3, Wii- got to go out again.

Can't do half a job now.

Zombies sighted in Euston! I'm outta here. See you at the pub Aroogah

Yes. My chance to prove to all the lefty liberals in here that I am more than an internet hero.
Email just received. Wish me luck. Nice knowing some of you

Dear Clients,

Just to inform you that the police have told us that there may be a suspected riot around the Victoria area this evening. Many shops have shut early and people have gone home, so if you remain they have advised that if anything goes on to keep safe and remain in the building. Also please be aware when entering and leaving the building not to allow any tail gating.

Kind Regards

I've never heard of her before. Is she famous on the internet?

She's annoying and dumb on the internets, in real life she may be charming and accidentally witty and intelligent. Unfortunately I've only encountered her on the internets.

http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08/panic-on-streets-of-london.html

Riots are about power, and they are about catharsis.

.

^^^ see?

"may be a suspected riot"?

Finger on the pulse of society... from today's Standrd's report on the Ledbury restaurant looting in Notting Hill Gate

'Mrs Yang said: "I was kind of hoping to finish the rest of my tasting menu, but all the broken glass and turned-over tables probably wasn't conducive to a nice dining environment."
She said the staff had gone "well beyond their call of duty" in looking after the guests, adding: "I was sad for the wonderful smelling cheese cart which had glass littered all over it. So much cheese gone to waste!"

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23976839-looters-attack-diners-at-michelin-starred-ledbury.do

Finger on the pulse of society... from today's Standrd's report on the Ledbury restaurant looting in Notting Hill Gate

'Mrs Yang said: "I was kind of hoping to finish the rest of my tasting menu, but all the broken glass and turned-over tables probably wasn't conducive to a nice dining environment."
She said the staff had gone "well beyond their call of duty" in looking after the guests, adding: "I was sad for the wonderful smelling cheese cart which had glass littered all over it. So much cheese gone to waste!"

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23976839-looters-attack-diners-at-michelin-starred-ledbury.do

Beyond satire.