England has been on fire this week. The patience and tolerance of even the most liberal of people were stripped bare as young rioters vandalised, looted and burned the homes and businesses of some of the most deprived towns and cities in the country.
It was a disgraceful display of violence by a rabble of criminals, many of whom we are already discovering have 'previous' as their cases are fast-tracked through the courts. There was no cause. Many could not explain convincingly why they supported the rioting.
One girl attempted to argue she wants her taxes back (she sounded 12). Another said the riots were about about taking resources back from the rich people. One sage was on the BBC arguing the riots were justified because of all the people migrating into the country, i.e. people from Poland. Did he actually see any of the riots, or understand the issue that initiated the first one in Tottenham? In short, these imbeciles have no idea why they are rioting.
Every cloud has a silver lining though, for many proficient criminals are set to be taken off our streets. Great news, if not only for police forces but for law abiding citizens disgusted by what they witnessed in their living rooms.
These views may appear uncompromising, but I am no social conservative who elevates myself above the perceived inferiority below. I grew up on a council estate with others who struggled through the early years of our lives. We made the best out of the hands we were dealt, mostly consisting of similar low cards. And we did it lawfully. I like to think it is people like ourselves most disappointed by the activities of the scumbags, who unapologetically resort to criminality and blame others for their own failures. It has not been easy for any of us, but we avoided violating others.
However I have become intolerant of the views of those who want to see understanding and sympathy. Were they not watching the news? These rioters were not asking for sympathy. They did not want understanding. Many were shamelessly bragging about their actions for the TV cameras and microphones.
I have seen bloggers arguing that labels such as 'scum' dehumanise the offenders. As far as I am concerned, they dehumanise themselves with their behaviour, and by wearing dehumanising hoods and face masks.
Sentencing has to be fair though. Lengthy sentences for offences such as stealing bottles of water are simply unacceptable. Nobody should be locked up for six months for stealing a resource that can be acquired for free in our homes. The sentences must fit the deeds. Arsonists and vandals should be given more porridge in the cells than those who stole water and crisps.
We must also not ignore the social formation that facilitated these riots. Riots may have been arranged via Blackberry phones and Twitter, but we must remember it does not follow that the perpetrators are well off financially. The gap between rich and poor continues to widen, as British governments have spent over three decades sustaining a neo-liberal economic consensus built on private enterprise and market forces.
Also, these Blackberry phones have come down in value over recent months and years. They are frequently bundled in with £30 per month phone contracts, making them one of the few treats affordable to the impoverished as long as they can pass the necessary credit checks. The truth is, most of these people do not own their homes and many do not drive - their Nike Air trainers and fancy telecommunication devices are the only items of value they own - and they like to show them off.
Yet young people continue to be bombarded by messages of consumerism, and the importance of the ownership of goods. However, there is a major problem with youth unemployment in this country. This problem is set to be exacerbated by the number of young people who cannot continue their education because of the abolition of Educational Maintenance Allowance for college students. With no money, no jobs and no hope, it should be no surprise the chickens are coming home to roost. It has been confirmed in a news article most of those charged with riot offences are young, unemployed and male. Even though rioting by idiots is not the answer, wider society ignoring the problem is not an option either.
A good government needs to deal with the immediate problem, which involves mobilising police back on to the streets and ensuring those who work for the emergency services are not made the victims of cuts. Then, steps must be taken to refinance the education of young people. These are the first steps to help us move on from this awful week.
