White riot, I want a riot.. or at least a pair of Nikes

[top_geezer]

Ochlocracy
och•loc•ra•cy   /ɒkˈlɒkrəsi/  Show Spelled[ok-lok-ruh-see]
noun: government by the mob; mob rule; mobocracy.

Click to view

Clash: London's Burning

But not in the UK. Not quite yet I think. If for no other reason than the all pervasive knee jerk reaction to throw all stroppy teenagers into prison for life.

I have been listening to people frothing at the mouth, saying things like: "kill 'em", "hang'ns too good for 'em" and the like. It is amusing just how little a disturbance in some people's life can turn them from a bleeding heart liberal to a reactionary arse.
 A little disturbance? Well, yes. Quite so. Most of the people howling for the rioters to be lashed and hanging to be brought back live nowhere near the areas where the riots occurred. Admittedly they may have had to postpone their visit to that nice little restaurant in Battersea. But what is that to the rioters, their families and communities? It's not like they would ever be lucky enough to get a job working in such establishments of culinary excellence let alone dine there. 
 And then there is the assertion that rioting isn't British!", "it doesn't happen in this country!" Well it is. And it does. Why therefore was the Riot Act introduced? Rioting in Britain is an old tradition in Britain where, as a last resort, those who believe they are marginalised and unrepresented may express their dissatisfaction at the status quo.

The Bawdy House Riots

The Gin Riots

The Spitalfield Riots

The Gordon Riots

The Priestly Riots

And a jolly good source on Mobs and Riots in Victorian London

Democratic Socialism or at least the brand with which Britain has flirted with, on and off, for several decades does give the poor and working class a future. At the very least creches and trade schools are resources allowing the poor and working classes to plan for an ever-changing future. I don't think anyone would suggest that the rioters are likely to have any sort of useful education. They would hardly risk their futures if they had. Democratic Socialism also serves the well-off. With a useful education and a future to look forward to the poor and working classes are not likely to riot. Which means the rest of us get to enjoy the benefits of living in a, relatively, relaxed policed state. So it is a shame that we are ignoring the needs of the poor and the benefits of Democratic Socialism. Because otherwise we can all look forward to living in a dystopian police state.