London riots
I feel I ought to post about the London riots instead of posting about my usual more trivial things, but I don't really have much to say that hasn't been said elsewhere, and better. For instance, here. This is a very good post about it, and from someone a lot closer to the situation.
In shorter sound bytes, I like what my friend elizabrown said: "When the world’s youth [...]have no jobs, no future and the economic system is crumbling before our eyes because the older generations want to preserve their vast wealth or their exclusive society then you get a very very angry generation."
Or as she replied to a complaint about how the riots didn't seem "political," but merely "blatant thuggery," since there were no specific demands and the rioters didn't specifically target corporations or government headquarters. "It doesn't necessarily have to be political. People just get mindlessly angry when things are shit for long enough."
I would disagree a little though. It's not organized, but it's still political, even if it's not a self-conscious political statement. It's a class of people who have felt themselves trampled underfoot rising up to howl.
And it IS mindless anger. It is rage, resentment and frustration that has reached a point beyond calm and reasoned thought. Almost by definition, people who are willing to run out and burn the streets without planning and premeditation are too incensed to think about whether their actions are productive. And of course once the mob mentality sets in, others will join, on much shallower impulses. That includes people like this girl, yes. All of it is deeply unfortunate.
And now the city is burning, and people are being put in danger, and local businesses are being razed to the ground, and it is not a pretty picture. And something needs to be done.
But when a pot is boiling over, the solution isn't simply to clamp down a heavier lid.
In shorter sound bytes, I like what my friend elizabrown said: "When the world’s youth [...]have no jobs, no future and the economic system is crumbling before our eyes because the older generations want to preserve their vast wealth or their exclusive society then you get a very very angry generation."
Or as she replied to a complaint about how the riots didn't seem "political," but merely "blatant thuggery," since there were no specific demands and the rioters didn't specifically target corporations or government headquarters. "It doesn't necessarily have to be political. People just get mindlessly angry when things are shit for long enough."
I would disagree a little though. It's not organized, but it's still political, even if it's not a self-conscious political statement. It's a class of people who have felt themselves trampled underfoot rising up to howl.
And it IS mindless anger. It is rage, resentment and frustration that has reached a point beyond calm and reasoned thought. Almost by definition, people who are willing to run out and burn the streets without planning and premeditation are too incensed to think about whether their actions are productive. And of course once the mob mentality sets in, others will join, on much shallower impulses. That includes people like this girl, yes. All of it is deeply unfortunate.
And now the city is burning, and people are being put in danger, and local businesses are being razed to the ground, and it is not a pretty picture. And something needs to be done.
But when a pot is boiling over, the solution isn't simply to clamp down a heavier lid.