Apart from the ancient Greek experiment with democracy and Norse society in Iceland, almost every society up until the post-medieval period was feudal, with a wealthy elite lording it over everyone else. It wasn't unusual. The sacking of Rome didn't improve life for the inhabitants of the Empire. The Goths had been raiding the margins of the Empire for years, killing simple farmers and rich aristos alike. The continual raiding meant that Roman rule was withdrawn from some parts of the Empire, such as Britain, as it was too complicated to administer these far flung places. This left a vacuum into which a variety of opposing forces started competing in the province causing upheaval and a collapse of Imperial infrastructure on which much of Britain relied.
Yes, the collapse of Rome was staggered. I'm not an expert historian, while the marauding Visigoths sacked Rome, the city was already in broken chaos. My point is that the people of Rome were abandoned by elites who had long fled the city taking armies and resources with them in an attempt to create strongholds of their own. Rome was increasingly lawless and people could no longer be protected.as citizens of Rome any more The original narrative was about mob rule -my point is that while its easy to see the outward visible signs of looting and thuggery, this should not be a tool to undermine the underlying cause of the angry mob. Perhaps the sacking of Rome wasn't a well thought out example to draw upon trying to suggest that angry mobs can be a force for good
As it wasn't the inhabitants of the Empire that sacked Rome, the analogy with current events probably isn't that good. I see what you're saying to some extent though. Often the toppling of a regime by an angry mob, or by any means, doesn't result in a better life for the general populace. It just creates a power vacuum. The Russian Revolution didn't mean a better life for the average Russian peasant. The Arab Spring didn't make life anymore comfortable for people in places like Libya. Even the fall of Communism in Europe didn't lead to an overnight improvement in the lives of ordinary people, as the lack of strong government allowed organised crime to exploit the situation. In the case of the current angry mob, the anger is just causing anger in other people and the danger is that sympathy will be lost for a very just and honourable cause.
You're making ludicrous comparisons and moving the goalposts around to cover the holes in your argument. The US civil rights marches didn't involve the mob rule that we've just seen in the UK. That's my point so don't try to put words in my mouth to smokescreen your own inaccuracies.
Exactly. If the protestors want to benefit from democracy, the last thing that they should do is attack democracy, attack the police and commit criminal damage. What we've seen in the US police is mob rule where people think that violence, with the backing of their friends, is justified ... ... so why would anyone believe that mob rule is a sensible response.
As far as I can tell, The Vikings have not been mentioned yet. Their early raids were aimed at plunder AND capturing SLAVES. The British Isles and Ireland were a favourite and highly profitable target for them but they also ventured into central Europe for victims. Anybody know of any Viking Statues we can get angry at? Or Should we all petition to have the Jorvic Centre in York closed. And yes, I am extracting the water.
From an indigenous councillor in Alice Springs... High indigenous incarceration rate not down to 'systemic racism' 09/06/2020|9min While activists will claim otherwise, the high rate of indigenous incarceration is not due to “systemic racism”, according to Alice Springs Councillor Jacinta Price. Thousands of Australians flouted social distancing rules to protect against police brutality and Indigenous deaths in custody. Since a landmark royal commission in 1991, more than 400 Aboriginal people have died in prison. The number of Aboriginal people in the prison system has skyrocketed from 19 per cent in 2000 to almost 30 per cent in March 2020. Ms Price said it “not up to the government” to lower the rate of indigenous incarceration. “This comes down to individual responsibility,” she said. “As I continue to tell the world, almost 70 per cent of Aboriginal people incarcerated, both men and women, are incarcerated for acts of violence. "What I don’t see in this conversation … is the fact we need to reduce family and domestic violence as the number one cause of incarceration. "If we have safe homes, our children will be less likely to be on the path to incarceration. "I don’t understand why this doesn’t become common sense.”
I was the same in Tobago, it must have been about 2017, I walked into this tin hut and I was the only white person in there, they were canny lads, I did see a few other white people poke their head in the door then walk away. Try India for racism against your own colour, great country ****ing disgusting how it works over there 2007 not 2017
I am, as the charges show they were acting outside of the law ... ... as were the mob in London, who injured 27 police officers. We all have to respect the law whether or not it suits us.
Of course Cressida Dick, chief cop in London, is an example of if you make a mistake make sure it is a big one, cos then the powers that be will protect you and even promote you. A number of years ago, Dick (quite apt really) was gold commander in charge of a team looking for a nasty terrorist, he was a tall black man. They were watching a building with a number of flats in it waiting for him to appear. A man did come out of the house was followed to a tube station and shot dead. He was a small Brazilian (olive skinned at most). I wonder who was the idiot in charge...I bet they were kicked off the force for gross incompetence, causing the death of an innocent man...were they
Wehey, the BBC have reversed their decision on Fawlty Towers and are going to give a warning before it. A bit common sense for once imo.
He said that the point of that bit of it was to laugh at the major for being out of touch in his views of the world. https://news.sky.com/story/fawlty-towers-john-cleese-hits-out-at-stupid-removal-of-episode-12005118
The Germans screened Fawlty Towers, the French bought Allo Allo and Mind your Language which was shocking ... ... the only racism in FT is the Manuel character but there are daft little Spanish blokes just as there are daft English. The British have a history of brutal self deprecating humour which doesn't 'target' anyone ... ... it's scattergun humour but some people believe there's a sniper.
Exactly if you took everything to heart what's said in the Bar you,d be knocking 7 bells out of your best mates. It's the way we were dragged up.
So what you are saying here is that colonialism resulted in less brutal communities and then because we left they went back to a more brutal way of life? Hmmm ...thank goodness for the peaceful imposition of colonisation and their salvation making good Christian citizens of them all.
Plenty of white farmers being murdered these days in South Africa. Why don’t folk concentrate their faux outrage on them?
