Re: Interesting commentary on the UK riots

"DGDevin" <DGDevin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:3LidnaGVb6-i8djTnZ2dnUVZ_gidnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


"RichL" wrote in message news:6o6dnZhwN_c7E9nTnZ2dnUVZ_vCdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


None of the above has anything to do with what caused the riots. None of what Hastings said has anything to do with what caused the riots. Why? BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSES THESE SORTS OF SOCIAL BREAKDOWNS, amateur psychologists notwithstanding.

Dang, all-caps, I can't go up against that sort of massive documentation and airtight logic.

It's interesting that even the left in Britain is having trouble presenting these riots and looting as political expression, and when some in the labor party tried to depict it in such terms their leader quickly slapped them down.

Irrelevant, you're arguing with that straw man again.

It seems that Hastings' analysis that Britain has millions of young citizens with no sense of responsibility and little fear of the law is on the mark, especially considering all the predictions various commentators made some time ago that cuts to various form of the dole for young Britons would probably see a rise in crime in social unrest.

Well, I suppose the logic is that if you rule out explanation A, explanation B is correct by default, huh? The trouble is, in this case, we also have explanations C, D, E, F, and G, as well as the more honest "we don't know".

Nothing I have read from you, Hastings, or anyone else presents any empirical evidence that establishes a causal relationship between the factors that he mentioned and the riots. What I question more than anything else is whether most of this is new. Remember the story of Quadrophenia? That was 40 years old. Idle, alienated youth isn't anything new in Britain.

Not required to go to school, not required to work, not punished for misbehaving--gee, turns out that just might be a formula for trouble, who knew?

You might be interested in this:

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-isnt-behind-the-london-riots/2011/08/10/gIQAnBGg8I_story.html>

I don't give it much more credence than I do Hasting's piece, but at least this guy hasn't confidently proclaimed that he knows the answer. The so-called "trigger" for the event is largely forgotten.

Remember in another newsgroup we were discussing mob mentality in another context? There's certainly that present in this case. But that dodges the "why" question. I don't think we'll really know much of the answer to that until this thing runs its course.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Interesting commentary on the UK riots
    ... It's interesting that even the left in Britain is having trouble presenting these riots and looting as political expression, and when some in the labor party tried to depict it in such terms their leader quickly slapped them down. ... It seems that Hastings' analysis that Britain has millions of young citizens with no sense of responsibility and little fear of the law is on the mark, especially considering all the predictions various commentators made some time ago that cuts to various form of the dole for young Britons would probably see a rise in crime in social unrest. ...
    (alt.guitar.amps)
  • Re: Norwegians Boycott Israeli Goods
    ... Thanks for the explanation. ... Their anti-semitism didn't start with the riots. ... Prev by Date: ...
    (soc.culture.jewish.moderated)