
These riots have brought up a lot of borderline racism and insulting class comments...
I'm really not sure what I disagree with most...

When you say Government, do you mean the Tories or the previous regime who thought we shoudl be spending money we don't have? I don't agree with all the Tories cuts (I'm at a Gov't agency and facing redundancy, so pension cuts won't even effect me), but I do know something has to be done!
I don't believe the cutting of 'Yoof centres' and such like have anything to do with this. This is merely an excuse. There was plenty of youth crime before they shut these. The only 'youth' club I went to as a kid was the Cubs, and I think I turned out pretty ok - and the fact that my future is insecure, doesn't mean I want to go out and damage other people's lives, property and livelihoods! I will work my arse off to find another job when I can! I went to Uni, and am still in debt from it!
For me, the problem is in society in general, and has been heading this way for years - maybe even 20 years when the Premier League started, making it into a money machine, creating extremely rich people out of people who the 'common man' used to relate to! The gap between the poor and the rich grows, which for me is fine because ANYONE can make it rich if they put their mind to it. The problem is shows like X-Factor and Big Brother - it has made unrealistic expectations on people. People think they have a right to something without really working for it. These youngsters think they are owed a life, where in reality, they need to go to school, knuckle down hard and the rewards that come will be good!
This country is in a state at the moment... but it has been heading this way for years! Too many lazy people expect to be looked after. Nothing in this life should come for free... but it does!
As for the police... in general, they do a fantastic job and still think we have one of the best forces in the world! They have had to deal with so much thrown at them (literal and metaphorically), but have to stand there and take it... and if they have go to defend themselves by hitting one of these scum, then it is them who are derided! Rioters know they can throw bricks at them and if the police retaliate, the PC Brigade will be up in arms about this thug's 'human rights'. I don;t agree with simpky just shooting these people... but they do need better laws and equipment to be able to defend themselves and the public they serve - and also when they put their life on the line to arrest them, that the law will back them up!
Thanks Charlie!

It has also shown that there are far too many people who have a blatent disregard for others. Small shopkeepers who have done little wrong finding their business in ruins, people today wondering if they have still got a home or has it been fired, people being treated for injuries simply for trying to protect others and their property, people in fear of going about their normal lives, need I go on?
Art we have agreed to disagree , let it lie please! Most of that 60 was me asking for people to refrain
I had about 4 hrs sleep yesterday through carrying my usual work plus the extra workload received from here and 99% was from this thread !
I understand your ideals and happen to agree with most , However please show a little consideration to the workload of others
If a polite request is made would it really hurt not to respect that wish !
Remember Mick has put a lot of time and effort and his own money into this site , surely that gives him some say!
If this place was no longer here than I would be a little concerned that our community built up on 606 and here would be come fragmented!
All Im saying is give the guy his dues!
What everyone happily ignores when it comes to attacking Labour's spending is the fact that when we sell our shares in the banks, most of the deficit will be covered if the markets aren't too much of a mess. I'm all for spending on Education and the NHS, you can't take the cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq into account as no-one knows if the Tories would have followed or not. What Dave and his rich Bullingdon buddies are doing is trying to force loads of cuts on false propaganda, whilst doing nothing to fix this country.
All this talk of the 'PC brigade' drives me nuts. When the students were being charged by horses and beaten with batons for doing a civilised protest against unfair tuition fee hikes, they were meant to accept it? In France they have similar problems to the riots here on a weekly basis, but their Police force can deal with it.
If you really think that everyone that 'reads the Guardian/liberals/the PC brigade' wants the rioters to escape unpunished then you're very wrong, the government and the Police are entirely to blame for letting this get out of hand, maybe the recent Tory cuts on the Police budget might have something to do with the escalation of the problem...
I'm sorry Toby but your last paragraph mirrors your avatar, "the government and the police are entirely to blame for letting this get out of hand". I think the lawless thugs should take full responsibility. This has nothing to do with protesting, I along with 750,000 civil servants went on a peaceful march in March through central London to protest about the cuts, I face losing my job, a job I've been in for 21 years, a job I thought would see me through to retirement, a job with a decent pension that would keep me in food in my old age. Now I will have to work another 6 years and pay more into my pension and get less out, that's even if I have a job by then. You didn't see me or my fellow marchers rioting or looting. That is opportunist thuggery, pure and simple.
I think the main difference between these riots and the student protests is the preparedness. This escalated ever so quickly, and the police just wasn't ready for it. No-one seemed to want to make the decisions with their bosses out of the country, and police were spread so thin, they were uneasy to 'get in there' if they didn't feel they had the back up!
I think if we had the police that was out there last night the night before, we would have been seeing far more retaliation beyond the student protests!
That is the pleasing thing from all this... the communities pulling together to stand up against these people! Fantastic to see and hopefulyl none of these will be hurt because of it!