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England's 'riots': When governments put shit in one end no one should be surprised when it comes out the other

Mick Hall | 10.08.2011 19:17 | August Riots | Policing | Repression | Social Struggles

With many a young man wearing a new pair of trainers, after England’s latest out burst of popular discontent, I was discussing the cause of these ‘riots’ with a friend who is not known for mincing his words, he said bluntly:

“Look Mick when governments put shit in one end no one should be surprised when it comes out the other end.”

Mexico 1968
Mexico 1968


As is to be expected when the street kicks off, the country’s parliamentarian's have come out with a raft of judgmental statements. The latest emulating from Tory and Lib Dem government ministers is the youngsters who are ‘rioting’ have “a false sense of entitlement.” Which just about takes the biscuit coming from a cabinet of millionaires who believe it is right and proper for 10% of the population to control 90% of the nations cake.

As John McDonnell, MP one of the few politicians to understand what is really going on said:

“We are reaping what has been sown over the last three decades of creating a grotesquely unequal society with an ethos of grab as much as you can by any means. A society of looters created with MP’s and their expenses, bankers and their bonuses, tax-evading corporations, hacking journalists, bribe-taking police officers, and now a group of alienated kids are seizing their chance. This is not to condone but to understand. Addressing inequality is the only way we can avoid a rerun of these riots.”

Who can argue with this, after we have witnessed over the last three decades the gap between the economically wealthy and the majority growing ever larger, whilst the former have enriched themselves at the majorities expense.

As a French journalist said this morning on the Today programe:
“Profit, consumption and exploitation have become the watch words of today’s England.”

Corruption has become a way of life for the ruling elites to such an extent our political leaders, from the prime minister down, see nothing wrong with accepting hospitality from the countries best known crime family and socialising with some of the most shady characters in the business world.

Following this weeks events, brighter minds turn to next years Olympic Games. The political and business elites built the main Stadia, Olympic Park and Village within the most deprived borough in London, and then to add insult to injury‘deprived’ the locals of a free front row seat despite having suffered years of disruption and dusts. Such contemptuous and arrogant behaviour may well ignite the anger and hate which has been simmering over the games in the boroughs of Hackney and Newham. When you couple this with the cruel decision by the rich Tory boys and their Lib Dem sidekicks to make the least responsible section of English society pay the most for a recession which was none of their making and next years Olympics appear more like a ticking time bomb than a national celebration of Sport.

Trickle down prosperity for the masses was proved to be an illusion long ago, that the coalition and the Labour opposition spokes-woman still attempt to give this lame old nag legs beggars believe, and shows what a gilded cocoon they live in, and how out of touch with the reality of life in London they are. Is it any wonder Boris first refused to return from his holidays, what could he have added to the situation, another round of over used judgmental cliches perhaps? “The riots were inexcusable,” “We will not tolerate the rule of the Mob,” Understandably, when he did touch down he was booed off the streets.

From the statements now coming from David Cameron and Michael Gove, who seems to have usurped the Home Secretary Theresa May's mandate, it is clear they intend to protect the Olympic Games with a ring of steel and terrorize any prospective protesters by using draconian sentencing for those caught up in the recent unrest.

We shall see how this all pans out; could the 2012 Olympic Games have echoes of Mexico 1968, la lutte Continua.

Mick Hall
- Homepage: http://www.organizedrage.com/2011/08/englands-riots-when-governments-put.html