Yes please accept my sincere apologies. Also - Tell Saunders im gonna slap my big fat bald cock round his face when i see him.
Given that some are arguing the causes of the unrest are to do with economic recession, government cut backs, social exclusion, poverty, a growing gap between rich and poor and the rise of an underclass, I think the following comment sums up the situation pretty well for me: I came from a working class background, parents never had a great deal of money, never went on holiday or had much by way of luxury, and grew up in the midst of the troubles but never smashed up shops, looted or attacked people in the street. Its called self respect, respect for others and being brought up correctly. This country is going to the dogs.
That comment sums it up pretty well for me as well. Although I think some blame for that lies at the feet of our credit based consumerist culture, which all governments and parties have been happy to encourage and embrace without question for far too long. If you spend the best part of three decades telling people they can have all this great stuff and then fail to deliver, sooner or later they are just going to try and take it. Just for once I would like a politician to stand up and say "I'm sorry, but a large portion of people in this country are never going to have much money or comfortable living. There just aren't enough resources in the world to make it happen". Instead you get the same old tired spiel about giving them opportunities, when the actual opportunities never match the promises made.
I can't agree with that. The people in London who are actually familiar with the areas like Hackney and Tottenham (and so understand what the people are like) rather than the commentators who have never been there will tell you that the rioters are not doing this because of the culture of consumerism, they just have hardly any respect for other people. It is possible for them to afford the stuff they are taking if they worked hard in school but they didn't because they didn't see the need too. Of course factors like bad parenting and a lack of role models do come in to it but in my view they refused to make the most of their situation and are happy not to do anything useful with their lives.
