There are so many reasons
for these riots, but only if the general population takes direct
action against them can we reclaim the
streets
A lot of people of my
generation are not really interested in the news, even in the
extraordinary times in which we live. Abstract concepts such as
sovereign debt and the wrongs of billion Euro bailouts (with or out
without haircuts) result very quickly in eyes glazing over. Yet the
images of burning cars in London and elsewhere are keeping everyone
glued to their TV screens. No one has explanations, and the plethora
of experts they've called on to the TV has hardly helped.
Commentators seek either to explain away this phenomenon through
poverty and financial cuts, or they blame the feral youth that has
come from too much nanny state. Rights without responsibility is a
catchphrase bleated out by every other sheep who, like the
population at large, has no other explanation. Just which rights and
which responsibilities they're talking about is unclear. Do they
mean freedom of speech, where newspapers are able to hack into
people’s phones and listen to their conversations, all in the name
of providing information? Or maybe they mean the kind of
responsibility taken by members of parliament, who routinely lie to
get into office, elect themselves pay rises while submitting bogus
expenses and are on holiday when the streets are
burning?
No, that's not taking responsibility. Blaming the other
party for cuts or explaining peculiar British circumstances while
calling for solutions through tough action (by someone else) isn’t
either. We have seen across Europe and the Middle East that people
are ready to take responsibility. Millions are dissatisfied, but
only in England do they take to burning police cars because of this.
Not that you'd know if you watch the BBC or other mainstream news
organisations - they're too interested in the views of the IMF
(an organisation which has a very poor track record) while they
ignore the genuine concerns that swathes of the population have
about finding employment and being able to live in a decent
way.
I do not, however, wish to draw parallels between this
wanton vandalism and the social movements of the south. This morning
I saw a film of people in baseball caps beating up a young tourist,
then helping him to his feet while going into his bag to steal some
piece of electronic equipment. Shops have been looted and everyday
consumables such as training shoes and ipads have been taken. This
may have started as some sort of reaction to a police shooting, but
these people are merely violent opportunists. The sort of hooligans
that we all thought had gone away with all-seater football stadia
and the housing boom. They didn’t just magically vanish of course,
and with the wealth gap larger than it ever has been a large
underclass exists in British society which has been ignored – until
now.
The Police, meanwhile, are useless. For far too long
they have become influenced by the overclass (if there's British
underclass then the politicians, journalists, corporate businessmen
and bankers surely form our overclass). The British Bobby was
supposed to be more than just a aristocrat's skivvy, but the
corruption we've seen during the phone-hacking scandal looks to be
rife. Innocent young black men are stopped and searched as a matter
of routine, although even this is constitutionally questionable. If
resentment exists against the Police there is obviously some
justification for it, but as a unit to restore order to the street
they look incapable. Are there no more tactics then lines of shields
and maybe a baton charge? The kettling of protestors in London might
work for nice middle-class people who don't carry Molotov Cocktails,
but for dealing with burning barricades it simply doesn't
work.
Amidst all of this, people are listening to what they
hear on TV and repeating it. I've heard so many times today people
calling for the army to be brought in to take control. This is
surely a no-brainer. For a start, troops are either abroad on a tour
of duty or only in the UK as one of the short breaks they get from
the most dreadfully intense experience of their lives. Soldiers
are trained for war, and are hardened by experiences in Afghanistan
and Iraq, of which this is not even close. Meanwhile, what more
could the army bring? Ammunition? Tanks? Imagine a looter being shot
in the back for stealing a pair of trainers. This is the kind of
action which may pass off in Iraq (blaming the insurgents), but an
incident such as this on the streets of London would only fan the
flames, if you pardon the expression.
Watching scenes of fire and destruction on our
television sets or hiding under sofas hoping they won’t break your
window looks like any number of dreadful zombie movies. This,
however, is real life. In this world we have the power to influence
events ourselves. What we have seen in Spain and Greece, not to
mention Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria is that a critical mass of
people can make a difference. If we want to stop these riots then we
have to take responsibility. We have to reclaim the street for the
general populace. Instead of hiding, we must join together and walk
towards them. Just imagine 10,000 people walking slowly and silently
towards these thugs. Their answer to the police and the army would
be to throw things, but for me there is no more impressive, or
scary, sight in the world than a critical mass of people standing up
and taking action peacefully. India was won through thousands
walking to the sea and living in a normal way, against unjust laws,
and this (much smaller) battle can be won in a similar way. We
cannot let an entire population be cowed into hiding behind the sofa
and hoping someone else will do something about it. Only we, the
people, can solve this mess, and in the process reclaim the streets
for ourselves not just from the hooligans but from the corporations
too.
So this is my solution. We have communication methods
for spreading the word, and we have a critical mass of people who
are deeply shocked. Take the responsibility for this and douse the
flames through smothering the few with the masses. Let's all agree
to meet in our High Street this evening and show these thugs that
we, the average working person, will not tolerate such destruction
to our cities.
Either that or pray for a few very stormy nights. Even
hooligans don't like the rain.
Adam Mathews,
9 August 2011
the Aimless Wanderer
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