I drove down Lavender Hill in Wandsworth / Clapham about an hour before it all kicked off last night - returning from my father in law's funeral, and my wife commented on the number of young black youths milling around. I put it down to the fact that we usually make the journey on a Sunday instead of a Monday, not imagining that we were on the brink of a mob revolution.
God only knows what the government and police can do in a situation like this, other than pray for rain. If it is pissing it down, most of these bastards won't go out in the rain - that's how "political" this all is! This was triggered initially by a bastard being shot by the police - note the way that his brother said that he wouldn't be stupid enough to shoot at the police, not that he wouldn't carry a gun! The police should now be empowered to shoot any rioter on sight. This isn't anarchy, this is playtime and larceny. If the rioters knew they would be shot if they took to the streets, they would stay at home with Mummy.
Shooting is a bit last resortish HF. If the police resource is insufficient then it should be boosted by the attendance of the army. Those boys don't muck about - ask your friendly iraqi. My first thought though is why didn't the police use tear gas to disperse the looters? Have the weepy Guardian-reading pc brigade managed to stop the use of that deterrent - in fear of infringing some disposessed afro-type's civil liberties?
ReplyDeleteOf course it is last resortish mate - that's the problem. These bastards know they are immune. Even if they are arrested, what happens? Sod all. If this was politically motivated then fair enough, but it isn't, it is looting and thuggery, pure and simple. There was one stupid cow on TV last night claiming that she was "getting back" her "taxes". I bet I pay to maintain her kids out of my taxes because she doesn't have a husband to pay for them. And I bet my taxes were paid to raise her too! My taxes are also being paid to police these troubles and my insurance premiums will rise because of this. I'm a tax payer and I would rather pay for bullets. It will save me a fortune in benefit payments and prison bills!
ReplyDeleteWell, I can see where you're coming from HF, but can you imagine the outpouring of grief from the Primrose Hill mob if one looter got his come-uppance? Mind you, I did smile watching TV last night when one afro-hoodie got a nice mouthful of police riot shield which sent him back into the second row of the mob behind a couple of small kids with bikes.
ReplyDeleteI want Gene Hunt in charge of policing. 80's style rioting needs 80's policing.
ReplyDeleteCameron can shove his big society up his ass!
I wouldnt have minded so much until I heard that rioters had looted "Tesco Express, Liddell and Primark"....where's ther class here? heathens....I'm with you BBC, send for the guns.
ReplyDeleteLOL Darren, response based on taste and social class; I like it!
ReplyDeleteI think the classic was the police chief's comment on Sky news Sunday morning when, with buses, cars and buildings blazing behind him he said "we don't want the police to inflame the situation" what a prat!
ReplyDeleteIts all a game to these kids. From the age of five or earlier they spend more time playing aggressive computer games and watching aggressive videos than they do getting an education. The mental step from "virtual" to "reality" is small and easy to take.
Life is all about deterrents and incentives. The fragile nervous looking police line was hardly a deterrent, the new computers and tellies were an incentive, as was being able to stick their fingers up at authority.
Rubber bullets leave a nasty painful mark for quite a few days, being washed a 100 yards down the High Street on the end of a water cannon, these are deterrents that are likely to quell the incentive to join and maintain mob criminalisation
I say arrest one of them and give him 20 years in prison. The riots will stop overnight and will never happen again. Simples.
ReplyDeleteReal bullets end the problem for ever.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the end of the world is truly coming. With the world economic collapse (which is now more likely happen than not) which is really down to the fact that the Govts of the world have abused the power given to them by the people to screw the people (by borrowing up to their ears and by serving special interests of financial mercenaries) leading to unrest and uncotrolled riots who knows where it may end!
ReplyDeleteBut more specifically in the UK riots I agree with you that the worst thing the police could do these last three days is to give out the message that law and order is at the mercy of the thugs and looters. I wouldn't go as far as shooting at them, but retreating pathetically as I saw on television is surely not the way to control this.
Thanks Sav you have really cheered me up!
ReplyDeleteI agree HF, bullets are for keeps but they are for keeps for the police and innocent bystanders as well as the rioters, and I don't trust our police marksmen. With the guns they have these days they could easily hit an offender in the shoulder or leg, why do they always go for the kill? and remember the Brazillian electrician who they thought was a terrorist in the train carriage, six shots in the head when one would have done and he was innocent! No our police with guns are like a loose cannon. Some army regiments could do the job if required, but it would probably open up the gun culture even more. Definitely water cannon and rubber bullets first, plus something decent for our miniscule police people to hit offenders with
You know things are bad when the PM has to have a COBRA at 9am in the morning......
ReplyDeleteBring back corporal punishment with immediate effect, won't do anything for the current perpetrators, but will assist the future. Since the abolishment of it in English schools in 1987 kids have grown up without proper consequences being meted out for their actions. The upshot is the behaviour we currently see where the scum have grown up without any punishment for their early minor misdemeanours, so their ambitions and actions escalate with the leap from virtual to reality that John correctly identifies an easy step to make. A cane in the formative years, when misbehaving in school, would have in many cases formed their behaviour for the future. Note that the age of the criminals carrying out these actions are 11-40, all schooled under the namby-pamby regime and many of the youths are the offspring of the 35-40 year group, i.e. A doubling up of generations raised without consequence for actions at an early age. Also note that in Scotland where corporal punishment wasn't abolished until 2000 we have not seen any riots (yet).
ReplyDeleteJust got back after 5 days holiday in Devon. Missed all the riots, but I see the punishers are out in force on here. Stick to talking about football lads - 'politics' isn't your strong point. Too much Sun shite, not enough education, and that goes for 'Lord Canning', HF, 'tommy', 'travelling hammer' - you are all chumps of the highest order if you think 'punishment' can solve the LONG TERM [since the late 70s] problems with youth who have no jobs, no education, no prospects, and whose only role models are plonkers like say, Rio Ferdinand, or some other dumbo 'tweeter'. Or indeed some moronic 'rapper' like the terminally stupid '50 Cent'.
ReplyDeletegateman
But gateman, punishment has worked and shown the way forward. I'm no Tory, but credit to Cameron for talking tough. The threat to stop benefits and evict from council houses was a masterstroke. They couldn't deliver on it, of course, but the morons were stupid enough to believe him! No benefits, no cheap housing, fcuk me, the parent was suddenly telling her darling brat not to go out looting. "Of course I want a fcuking 42 inch TV but it aint no good if I can't pay for the electric and aint got a flat to keep it in! Do us a favour luv, give us one of yer fags and pass me a Fosters. What's that you readin? The Beano? Bit hard for you aint it?"
ReplyDelete