Tottenham riots

[Jason H]

You probably didn't grow up in an area with gang culture and massive poverty either.

Actually the gangs in the Hounslow/Southall region in the 80s were amongst the most violent around (admittedly mostly inter-Asian gangs). Look up the "Holy Smokes". There were gang-related riots practically on my doorstep in the mid-90s.

The best way to get out of poverty is to educate your way out of it. Society in this country is NOT a means of blame, there are opportunities if you work hard enough. Look at David Lammy, Tottenham's MP. Black, single parent family, now a widely-respected MP.

 

[mfcrocker]

This commonsense analysis won't suit BFS's agenda though.

What agenda? I have a prescribed political standpoint but no agenda.

Also M&TF's point is wrong, it's reported (admittedly in the Grauniad) that the majority of participants were Enfield locals.

 

[Jason H]

You may not like it but the argument isn't invalid; historically all major change has been ushered in through violent protest.

Mahatma Gandhi, well-known violent protestor.

 

[BigBanker]

You may not like it but the argument isn't invalid; historically all major change has been ushered in through violent protest.

What major change was this violent protest seeking to prompt?

Denying Police the right to defend them selves against armed criminals?

Youth centre re-opening scheme?

We live in a pretty f*cking decent country. It's not perfect, but the weekend's riots were totally disproportionate to anything they were 'protesting' against and for them to be justified as a way to bring positive change is dangerous in itself. Those rioting were not, in my opinion, looking to bring about a positive major change to Tottenham/London/the country.

The Tiananmen Square protests this was not.

 

[mfcrocker]

Actually the gangs in the Hounslow/Southall region in the 80s were amongst the most violent around (admittedly mostly inter-Asian gangs). Look up the "Holy Smokes". There were gang-related riots practically on my doorstep in the mid-90s.

The best way to get out of poverty is to educate your way out of it. Society in this country is NOT a means of blame, there are opportunities if you work hard enough. Look at David Lammy, Tottenham's MP. Black, single parent family, now a widely-respected MP.

So you bring up gangs that you had absolutely no chance of being recruited into? Or were you a Sikh back then?

Educating your way out of poverty requires high-quality schooling in poverty-stricken areas, which is not usually available.

 

[meandthefarmer]

What agenda? I have a prescribed political standpoint but no agenda.

Also M&TF's point is wrong, it's reported (admittedly in the Grauniad) that the majority of participants were Enfield locals.

It will be a matter of lets see but a local councillor has already said that they come from outside according to the police..i would reckon they are from the edmonton/tottenham and hackney area basically along the train line from enfield

 

[mfcrocker]

Mahatma Gandhi, well-known violent protestor.

The Indian independence fight had a sizeable amount of violent protest.

 

[Jason H]

Actually the standard of schooling in most inner-city areas is pretty decent, and getting better all the time (pupil premium etc.). If people aren't attending, that's their look-out.

And what does my chance of being recruited into the gangs have to do with the price of fish? You stated I probably didn't grow up in an area with gang culture. I stated that in fact I did. And I didn't bother throwing into the mix that my part of London was a hotbed of NF activity too (to which I guess I could easily have been targeted for recruitment). Poverty? Yeah, plenty of that too around the Ivy Bridge Estate in Isleworth and the Haverfield and Green Dragon in Brentford, let alone Feltham.

Funnily enough, though, the people on these sink estates generally sought to better themselves, most have achieved it.

 

[BigBanker]

The Indian independence fight had a sizeable amount of violent protest.

The Indian independence fight this is not.

 

[mfcrocker]

What major change was this violent protest seeking to prompt?

Denying Police the right to defend them selves against armed criminals?

Youth centre re-opening scheme?

We live in a pretty f*cking decent country. It's not perfect, but the weekend's riots were totally disproportionate to anything they were 'protesting' against and for them to be justified as a way to bring positive change is dangerous in itself. Those rioting were not, in my opinion, looking to bring about a positive major change to Tottenham/London/the country.

The Tiananmen Square protests this was not.

Perhaps, as has been suggested, people are finding themselves completely f*cked over by the current government's economic policy?