Tottenham Riots

[Cormac]

I agree with Rum to the extent that opportunistic looting and gratuitous destruction have nothing to do with the politics exceot in a roundabout way.

It's not all that roundabout. For those used to living on government handouts under socialism, the concept of private property becomes blurred and even seen as illegitimate and looting then does come to be seen as "getting their share of tax money". To the extent Rum doesn't see that, I agree with Exi5stentialist that he doesn't understand how socialism actually works.

Which side said "society does not exist"? Which side has been glorifying greed?

That quote is taken out of context. You need to read the whole speech to get the real meaning of that statement.

[Cormac]

There will be a lot of insurance fraud this week .

Good point who is really the criminals here, the rioting thugs or the middle classes who will actually steal a lot more

Steal? From whom? Themselves?

The Middle Class fund the vast majority of public services. Incidentally, if you're posting on this site, the chances are that you too are middle class.

Fuck off Paddy I'm working class you cunt.

Sorry Pen, you gruff old git. Not any more you're not.

[Cormac]

I take the view that everything is political... every single thing, everything has a direct, immediate political cause. Everything is about left and right, anyone who doesn't see that doesn't have a clue - in my humble opinion.

That doesn't mean that I think the rioters and looters have a coherent, deliberate political intention that lies at the heart of their reason for rioting. But to say that these riots are not political or worse, that they have nothing to do with politics is to express a level of denial that I find quite shocking. I realise the words 'except in a roundabout way' could contain a host of meanings, so it would be interesting if we could hear more about what the roundabout way is.

Adhering exclusively to outmoded concepts of "left" and "right" makes a person useless to society, from a political standpoint.

[Exi5tentialist]

Update: Just had a text from her saying she is OK and all is well.

But was it really her? Maybe it was a scumbag phone-snatcher fresh from riot school. Did you not use an agreed code word, like "property-owning democracy FTW" or something that a lifelong socialist would recognise as being unmistakeably definitive of both of you?

[Exi5tentialist]

Adhering exclusively to outmoded concepts of "left" and "right" makes a person useless to society, from a political standpoint.

Oh yes, so outdated. All politics is right-wing nowadays. I forgot.

Back to watching the telly with a bag of crisps.

[Atheist-Lite]

I thought it was laissez faire capatalism? Law of the jungle and all that jazz?

[Cormac]

Adhering exclusively to outmoded concepts of "left" and "right" makes a person useless to society, from a political standpoint.

Oh yes, so outdated. All politics is right-wing nowadays. I forgot.

Back to watching the telly with a bag of crisps.

Which part of "outmoded concepts of "left" and "right"" did you not understand?

BOTH are outmoded when a person commits 100% to one or the other as the ONE TRUE WAY.

Both have some useful concepts, but exclusively on their own - useless.

[Exi5tentialist]

Which part of "outmoded concepts of "left" and "right"" did you not understand?

outmoded.

BOTH are outmoded when a person commits 100% to one or the other as the ONE TRUE WAY.

Both have some useful concepts, but exclusively on their own - useless.

Exclusively, on its own, every word is useless. That's why we need to explain what we mean. Everyone is welcome to read all my posts. Having done so, if anyone thinks all I have done is repeat Left or Right 'exclusively', it would make me think I am not the one who has trouble with the concept of 'understanding'.

[Ronja]

Exclusively, on its own, every word is useless. That's why we need to explain what we mean. Everyone is welcome to read all my posts. Having done so, if anyone thinks all I have done is repeat Left or Right 'exclusively', it would make me think I am not the one who has trouble with the concept of 'understanding'.

Surely you're joking, Mr. E?

[Exi5tentialist]

Surely you're joking, Mr. E?

So what do you think, Ronja? Do politics, sociology or economics offer any legitimate explanations? Any thoughts?

[Rum]

Update: Just had a text from her saying she is OK and all is well.

But was it really her? Maybe it was a scumbag phone-snatcher fresh from riot school. Did you not use an agreed code word, like "property-owning democracy FTW" or something that a lifelong socialist would recognise as being unmistakeably definitive of both of you?

Again with the sarcasm. You are an expert it seems. Still an expert at the lowest form of humour? Hmm..

[Ronja]

Surely you're joking, Mr. E?

So what do you think, Ronja? Do politics, sociology or economics offer any legitimate explanations? Any thoughts?

Do you often answer a question with a completely unrelated question or three?

[The Red Fox]

At worst, the damage of these riots will cost something along the lines of millions of pounds.

White-collar financial crime such as fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion is theft and looting of resources which costs the economy tens of billions of pounds each and every year.

If we're going to impose martial law in London, something which nobody seems to understand the implications of, the army also needs to be deployed in the City of London to stop these white-collar thieves and looters who systematically rob billions from the economy each year for their personal gain. We're all in this together, after all.

In point of fact, it is the City that pays for the lions share of public services.

Also, the Blair-Brown axis kissed the arse of the City right through their terms of office, and THEY followed very silly policies that certainly threw fuel on the fire of the rampant idiocy in the markets.

BUT, the accusation you level against the city is not correct.

The City was convenient to use in my analogy to make a point about the use of the military.

Do you not agree that financial crimes; fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion, cost this country billions every year? Do you not agree that is a form of looting? I was trying to highlight the disparity in policing and what the public expect from police. We're willing to crack down hard on rioters (rightly so in this instance), who maybe kick off once in a decade or two and cause a few million pounds worth of damage, but do nothing at all to crack down on the rampant financial crimes being committed in this country (and citizens of this country living in tax havens) on a regular basis.

[Rum]

Surely you're joking, Mr. E?

So what do you think, Ronja? Do politics, sociology or economics offer any legitimate explanations? Any thoughts?

Do you often answer a question with a completely unrelated question or three?

This 'un shoor gits riled Missy!

[Ronja]

Surely you're joking, Mr. E?

So what do you think, Ronja? Do politics, sociology or economics offer any legitimate explanations? Any thoughts?

Do you often answer a question with a completely unrelated question or three?

This 'un shoor gits riled Missy!

.

Only if the translation of ^^that sentence to King's English resembles "This new person seems to become irritated rather easily, don't you think?", am I inclined to mostly concur. And in that case quite heartily!