So my city is full of riots right now, and some of it is on fire. People have been made homeless, businesses ruined, journalists attacked. The mood in London for most people is very pissed off and a bit scared and lots and lots of gallows humour and where the hell are the army? Many people feel that they knew something like this was coming, but possibly not on this scale.
I'm okay at the moment. Where I live is very residential and boring and nothing worth robbing.
People are talking a lot about the criminal element and about young men and lack of education and deprivation. I'm sure that this is all relevant. But I am also reminded of the time that I got caught in a small but significant riot at (I kid thee not) Marlow Regatta. No joke - boys in full black tie, 'nice' privileged boys from nice homes lobbing bottles at the police and generally enjoying a punch up. Unfortunately I got stuck between the front line of the riot police and the mob, but luckily was not hit by any of the missiles.
For those who don't know (which will be almost everybody), Marlow Regatta is a posh boat race in a very posh town and there is a field at the back where traditionally local young people go to get incapacitated drunk and eat strawberries. It sadly also is a magnet for super creepy guys. It's not quite Caligula but there are some similarities.
My point? I don't know. I suppose that when we look at this we need to take a both/and approach when thinking about the relative contribution of free will and determinism.
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Exactly. The verbiage changes, too. When privileged kids throw bottles it's called "acting out" or a "rebellious phase"; when the culprits are presumed to be lower class it's a "riot."
Just like how it's only called a class war when the lower classes question the system. Otherwise it's just called rule of law.
In any case, I hope things calm soon and that you stay safe. In Philadelphia we have had some smaller scale incidents this summer (somehow called "flash mobs") but nothing like what is happening on your side of the pond.
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