09 August 2011

It's like the old hippie said...

...you don't have to be a Weatherman...

is london burning?
"More than 450 people were arrested and 60 police officers were hurt. A statement from Scotland Yard described the disturbances as 'unprecedented in recent history.'

Front-page headlines in the national press read 'Rule of the Mob,' 'The Battle for London,' and 'The Anarchy Spreads.'"
Or, as it's known in academic circles... a total breakdown of societal controls.

Cross your fingers, Toronto.

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RELATED: Who are these mysterious "youths"...

...you speak of?
“It’s us versus them, the police, the system,” said one youth at a grim housing estate in the London district of Hackney, the epicentre of Monday night’s rioting.

“They call it looting and criminality. It’s not that. There’s a real hatred against the system.” His friends, some covering their faces with hoods, nodded in agreement.
Okay then... as long as it's a REAL hatred. But still, I'm a little confused. Isn't it "the system" that bought these guys the Blackberries they're using to coordinate all the rioting?

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LAST WORD: Cash for Life?

Hmmm, call me wacky... but maybe inviting, entrenching and... more to the point, subsidising... a permanent underclass isn't really the best solution here.
"Like bank-issued debit cards, the cards will be PIN-protected and will not identify the user as a social assistance recipient."
Hang on a sec... you're a second or third generation welfare recipient... how easily embarrassed are you? Why are we making this process easier?

Instead of streamlining the whole "entitlement" thing... shouldn't we be looking to eliminate our horrendous welfare burden?