[Oztrich Boy]

Some people disagree

"Can you blame them?" asked bike mechanic Julian Sabetian, 29. "They're doing something criminal, but they're also trying to get attention.
"We can carry on ignoring them for as long as we like but it's not going to fix the problem."

Sales assistant Matt Brown, 29, said the looting was a by-product of Britain's unbalanced welfare and housing policies that placed severely poor households beside rich areas. "Living in an area like this you are going to see a lot of people with a lot of money. These kids don't have a lot of money and they want that but there's no means for them to get it.
"So there's only one way to get what they want, and that is by stealing."


Would it really be a tragedy if Micycle was forced out of business and the staff laid off?

[nodumbblonde]

but there's no means for them to get it

Does he mean there's no means for someone to knock on their taxpayer-provided door and hand it to them just because they have a pulse?

Poor little victims! Having to live next to "rich" people who get up every day and sock 14-18 hours into their businesses in order to be successful.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

WHEN the worst riots in British history descended across the streets of England, it was the family-run shops and small businesses that bore the brunt of the immense destruction.

The worthless yobs who never earned an honest day's pay in their entire lives consider people who do earn their pay to be "the rich."

The royal family can truthfully be classified as "the rich," but going after them would be too dangerous.

[robowombat]

‘The worst riots in British history’, not quite. This is presentism and conveniently forgets the turbulent and often violent nature of British public life before the mid Victorian calm descended. Just one example might be cited The Gordon Riots in which ostensible anti-Catholic agitation grew into a general undrclass revolt that featured mobs rampaging out of control burning sacking and often physically demolishing the residences and businesses of disliked members of the upper lasses. Chief Justice Mansfield's magnificent town mansions was literally demolished by the mob. Interestingly the response of the London authorities was deliberately non existent since the the contemptible Lord Mayor and most if the aldermen were Whigs of a sort and wanted to embarrass the King's party by letting a mob run amok in the capitol. Only when the mobs started to attack major government institutions such as Whtehall and demolish the prions did the royal government intervene with crushing force bringing in the regular army and embodying the Militia. As a huge mob closed in on the Bank of England troops from the Brigade of Guards dispersed the mob by volley iring directly into the crowd repeatedly until it dispersed. Something over 200 fatalities occurred during this hellish week during a broiling summer heat wave. One generation forgets what others have endured without some knowledge of the past.

[TASMANIANRED]

Still haven’t learned their lessons.

[Right Wing Assault]

"Can you blame them?" asked bike mechanic Julian Sabetian, 29.

Hey, Julian. When you get the shop rebuilt and restocked, we're going to come and clean you out again. Nobody to stop us. Have to replace the bikes we stole since people stole them from us. I still got mine, but it has a busted tire so I'm going to throw it out and steal a new one from your shop. After all, you can't blame me for wanting a new one, can you?

[Harley]

Get a clue elite liberal Londoners. Your 50 year lavish welfare system is coming down with a crash. The more stuff you give to lazy people the lazier they become and demanding of more free stuff. You’ve created a monster that you now have to live with it until it kills you or you figure out how to curtail it.

[Billthedrill]

"Can you blame them?" asked bike mechanic Julian Sabetian...

Now let me think about it for a moment...YES!

[Balding_Eagle]

the looting was a by-product of Britain's unbalanced welfare and housing policies that placed severely poor households beside rich areas.

These riots are EXACTLY why Section 9 housing was invented here in the US.

[odds]

Sales assistant Matt Brown, 29, said the looting was a by-product of Britain's unbalanced welfare and housing policies that placed severely poor households beside rich areas. "Living in an area like this you are going to see a lot of people with a lot of money. These kids don't have a lot of money and they want that but there's no means for them to get it. "So there's only one way to get what they want, and that is by stealing."

Gated communities in Britain & shanty towns in London & Greater London?

"These kids" aren't short-sighted either. The quoted paragraph highlights a multitude of other problems & issues.

But, I agree that London is a mishmash of suburbs, depending on location, rent, safety, nightlife, and transport. Take a look