Gotcha and agree 100%. If there weren't differences between us because of this it would be scary.

I think I am - I am (and have been) a lot more concerned about the things that might've led to this situation rather than the situation itself, but since it's now got to this point then shouldn't the response be firmer and stop it in its tracks, and then (ideally) really try to deal with the causes? As you said, what caused this is a slightly separate matter but the participants' actions are not excusable.

Sod you Drew, until you have youth looting and people setting fire to stuff near where you live I won't consider your opinion entirely valid.

 

(also, I like playing devil's advocate a bit and getting on the opposite side of an argument to some people (hugright) )

He's from the hood, man. He's gangsta.

What? :(

That was meant to be a reply to you about Drew, but it's too early for me to hit the right link.

 

I was trying to say that he knows about the disaffected youth, despite coming from a small rural village. Not even very funny. I'll stop now.

Ah right, in light of Drew's occasional tendencies to display "gangsta"-inspired behaviour. No, I get it, just wasn't awake enough to get it without help. Bruv.

You're not the only one who considers Drew's opinions to be of limited merit given that it's not his house/livelihood being destroyed or family terrified by thugs.

 

Having said that, I'm sitting here in Switzerland, so 'yay' me.

We were talking about that last night, and remembered the "civil unrest" exception clause in most policies :-/

That's alright, any enterprise other than the little mom'n'pop shops that go under will pass on any uninsured costs in higher prices. So no one wins, no one loses. Some people may lose their jobs.

 

And these loons 'making a point against big enterprise' are making what point in the end?

Don't be a fuckwit. I can't have a valid opinion until it's happened to me?

You can't have an opinion on what the rioters are doing until you've lived their lives, then.

Ooh, escalation!

 

I would say that I live closer to the participants and have more exposure to their environment than you do.

 

(yay! fight!)

Then you would indeed be a fuckwit.

Neither can you though. While some of the rioters may have just cause for dissatisfaction (but not anarchy), I suspect that some (unknown percentage) of them are just in it for the 'laughs'.

 

But in good news I heard (not confirmed) that Jamie Oliver's restaurant got done over, so there's a silver lining after all.

You seem to have missed the point somewhere in my clever web of sarcasm.

 

I believe that we humans, being imaginative and communicative creatures, are perfectly capable of understanding, as far as one can do so, the experiences of others with just a little effort, empathy and compassion.

 

I've also said several times that I'm sure the majority of rioters are in it 'for the laughs' as you put it, but this is beside the point. If people feel so disconnected from and disaffected with their society/community that they can behave like this then there's a problem... is all I'm saying.

see, I see that as part of the overall problem

we should all have insurance, but quite often when you need it you find it's not valid for whatever has happened

so I sit thinking "the man" screwed me again

I am a quiet, overweight, middle-aged man living in a very rural out-of-the-way place and I feel that most of those deemed to be in authority in some way have and continue to screw me over on a regular basis

banks - PITA
government - PITA
council - PITA
police - PITA

etc ~ so I can only begin to imagine how people in the cities who are affected by all that much more often and on a larger scale than me must feel

Not according to Serg you can't.

I was being a hypothetical cunt, don't actually label me as one.

I agree with what you say here, and thank you for summarising your argument to something that my attention span can deal with.
You're damned right there's a problem, but I think that the problem lies in society as a whole. Parents who don't give a shit, lack of respect for others, booze mentality; the fabric of civilised society is torn. And none of this discourse will make the slightest difference.

Aye, I agree.

I think talking about it is a part of the process of it gradually changing (I don't mean we affect change by talking about it, obviously, just that us talking about it reflects the beginnings of a gradual change). Anyway, it's either this or phones and I'd rather talk about this.