[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Eaves: I’d pose a question to you in response to your posting. I’m presuming you’re knowledgeable about the so-called “Brixton Uprising” in 1981. With that presumption in mind, were you at all struck by the differences between Brixton 1981 and Tottenham 2011?[/quote]
Not so much about the differences between Brixton 1981 and Tottenham 2011 as much as the backgrounds, motivations, and attitudes of 1981 vs present day protesters. I think that’s why I’m so concerned (rabid?) about the use of polarizing tactics in the media by people who should know better. In our country, we have well-organized groups with large numbers of members who are planning strategy on action to take in domestic situations they consider dangerous to the country. Many of these groups count members of the military and law enforcement agencies among their members, who are ready and willing to commit treason to carry out the “missions” of their organization. While I might admire their willingness to “fight for their country”, as they believe they are doing, their websites all contain reasons for doing so that are based on flawed or exaggerated information, or downright falsehoods.
This is what happens when a country’s leaders look the other way when one or several of their party begin to employ or engage in polarization tactics in order to enhance their chances of winning. Both parties are guilty of looking the other way, and of ignoring opportunities to challenge the hate radio hosts, political bloggers, media pundits, and lobbying organizations posing as “think tanks” on their use of clearly false information and on their employment of words and phrases meant solely to appeal to the base instincts of voters.
Combine the years of falsehoods that have become part and parcel of party lore, and combine that with the immaturity and intolerance of the spoiled, irresponsible, and uneducated youth of a nation, and voila! Justifiable (in their eyes) criminal activity in the form of rioting, looting, and mob beatings. Even if there are only a few ill-informed louts jonesing to start trouble, with the assistance of an epidemic of chronic boredom and the widespread ownership of iPhones and other devices, they can amass a veritable army of supporters within an hour. The leaders have proof that they’ve been done wrong by the government, thanks to the wonderfully efficient Internet Truth Machine (previously known as The Rumor Mill), and they are only too happy to make others true believers also.
So, yes, I do tend to overreact when confronted with gratuitous employment of polarizing headlines designed to zero in on a target audience of fevered brains already overburdened by conspiracy theories, government plots, and the like.
[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] Not to be disagreeable, Eaves, but throughout Europe and the UK we are seeing a sea change and paradigm shift of epic proportions and to correctly assail some of the policies and programs, including emasculation of the UK police, is completely in order. You yourself opined on parenting and responsibility and to see these little shitheads running about, looking for nothing other than something to steal, does not make this a “political” riot about “cuts” or “austerity”. There might be something to that, but it isn’t the motive factor.[/quote]
Oh, Allan, you can be disagreeable. I promise that I will still love you in the morning (and that’s when I am REALLY disagreeable, to which my poor sweet husband can attest).
I actually agree with much of what Mr. Hastings says in his piece. However, I do have an issue with the implications and actual statements that the unfortunate traits are pretty much exclusive property of the “welfare” class – essentially, the poor. I realize that this is England, and it’s possible that there are distinct differences in the upbringing, discipline, training, behavior, restraint, and education levels of the poor/welfare class vs the middle class.
But here in the states, the undesirable traits mentioned by Mr. Hastings are readily apparent in increasingly large numbers of middle class, and even well-off children. U.S. children in all socioeconomic classes are spoiled, abusive toward everyone including adults and the elderly, have an exaggerated sense that they are treated unfairly, believe themselves deserving of unearned praise, recognition, and privileges, don’t believe that rules apply to them, and aren’t studying and learning at anything close to an age-appropriate level. More and more hate crimes of a violent nature are being perpetrated by teenagers, and even preteens, both male and female. And while I realize that these students are not motivated by changes in the political landscape, I do believe that our children are being negatively affected in a very serious way by increasing polarization. We can force 14 year-olds to attend a school assembly on bullying, but is it really going to take root in a girl when she returns home and reads vitriolic posts left by her father on a political message board, or the latest installment in a nasty rumor war about a neighbor spread by her mother on Facebook.
Yes, I am in agreement that the events in the U.K are worthy of special attention. I only hope that our government, especially our Homeland Security staff, are likewise taking note.
