Riots in the US, Italy and Greece
Discussion
We seem to be teetering on the edge of a Socialist abyss. The West is going mad, what are we to do?
The cheap credit of the last decade, people spending more than they earn, governments doing the same thing, people believing the are 'owed' something, the pensions crisis, the Euro crisis. Who knows where this will end? I expect whatever happens, we will all be a lot worse off in the long run.
The cheap credit of the last decade, people spending more than they earn, governments doing the same thing, people believing the are 'owed' something, the pensions crisis, the Euro crisis. Who knows where this will end? I expect whatever happens, we will all be a lot worse off in the long run.
The video states that "fury at sinking economies" are causing this. I can't speak for elsewhere, but here in the U.S. these "occupiers" know nothing about economy, bad or otherwise. As usual, the media are picking up on a relatively small movement with people who either never had or rarely held a job and are giving them far more credit than they deserve.
Wasn't it Gil Scott-Heron who sang about the U.S. increasing consumption while producing less in the song 'B-movie'. That's what's happened in the U.S and Europe, buying too much from China etc, for example, and forgetting we have to produce to be able to continue consuming. We've reached realisation point and there's rebalancing- to do, doesn't mean a one way path to oblivion.
Jimbeaux said:
The video states that "fury at sinking economies" are causing this. I can't speak for elsewhere, but here in the U.S. these "occupiers" know nothing about economy, bad or otherwise. As usual, the media are picking up on a relatively small movement with people who either never had or rarely held a job and are giving them far more credit than they deserve.
It doesn't really need a lot of people to cause a coup. Generally it's only a few dozen people. But it does need a lot of people to be not angry with the protestors.http://www.ustream.tv/theother99
Live stream from NYC. The weather's turned nasty so it will be interesting to see what happens now - they're planning to shut down the bridges at rush hour...
Jasandjules said:
Well, I for one hope that there are riots here and MPs, Judges and some celebrities are taken to see the Guillotine....... 
We put up with all too much and say little in the UK. It's about time something was done about it.
I don't. I have had enough of Billy Bragg touring the country.We put up with all too much and say little in the UK. It's about time something was done about it.
HoHoHo said:
Is this the thin end of the wedge and are we about to see the s
t hit the fan across Europe and possibly a few other countries as those who are pissed off with their leaders and the financial situation join in with those intent on simply having a brawl?
Sky News
Thin end of the wedge.t hit the fan across Europe and possibly a few other countries as those who are pissed off with their leaders and the financial situation join in with those intent on simply having a brawl?Sky News
Wait til the next budget in Ireland...it'll be very hard to sell more austerity when they'll have seen the Greeks writing off 50% of their debt and still not paying their taxes.
It's going to be a long hard haul everywhere...anyone who thinks otherwise is dillusional IMHO.
We do do riots in this country. It was WWI that was a watershed. Since then the general public has been very placid. Even then there was a lot of disgruntled people.
The general public in this country has been, at least for the last couple of centuries or so, very sophisticated. There were demonstrations with regards voting reform (Peterloo massacre), House of Lords interference in enlargement of the franchise and other such genuine concerns. It would seem that people in this country looked at the French revolution and what happened in the mid 17th c and decided that it was not worth the cost.
Most public disturbances in this country which have a political motive have been the result of inept government. Otherwise the populace is very laid back.
The general public in this country has been, at least for the last couple of centuries or so, very sophisticated. There were demonstrations with regards voting reform (Peterloo massacre), House of Lords interference in enlargement of the franchise and other such genuine concerns. It would seem that people in this country looked at the French revolution and what happened in the mid 17th c and decided that it was not worth the cost.
Most public disturbances in this country which have a political motive have been the result of inept government. Otherwise the populace is very laid back.
Derek Smith said:
We do do riots in this country. It was WWI that was a watershed. Since then the general public has been very placid. Even then there was a lot of disgruntled people.
We don't rise up/riot because we are old. You need lots of pissed off young men in the population for serious social trouble. In the Arab world you have a large youth bulge in the population and high unemployment, which may well have lead to the Arab spring."Gunnar Heinsohn (2003) argues that an excess in especially young adult male population predictably leads to social unrest, war and terrorism, as the "third and fourth sons" that find no prestigious positions in their existing societies rationalize their impetus to compete by religion or political ideology.
Nearly half of Libya's 2011 population consists of youths under age 20."
In the West our social problems are more likely to be because of an ageing population (bit of Logan's Run required0.
Fittster said:
Derek Smith said:
We do do riots in this country. It was WWI that was a watershed. Since then the general public has been very placid. Even then there was a lot of disgruntled people.
We don't rise up/riot because we are old. You need lots of pissed off young men in the population for serious social trouble. In the Arab world you have a large youth bulge in the population and high unemployment, which may well have lead to the Arab spring."Gunnar Heinsohn (2003) argues that an excess in especially young adult male population predictably leads to social unrest, war and terrorism, as the "third and fourth sons" that find no prestigious positions in their existing societies rationalize their impetus to compete by religion or political ideology.
Nearly half of Libya's 2011 population consists of youths under age 20."
In the West our social problems are more likely to be because of an ageing population (bit of Logan's Run required0.
hing about things that are less of a problem than they think but their youth and inexperience prohibits them from realizing so. We are becoming dangerously "anti-old" in the West as far as attitudes go. Most youths confidence and ego outweigh their true knowledge and experience. Be careful, wisdom cooks slowly, not in a microwave oven.
Globs said:
Jimbeaux said:
here in the U.S. these "occupiers" know nothing about economy, bad or otherwise.
So they know about as much as their president then!They know so much that Joe public had to step in and bail the greedy self centered b
ds out.Should have let them go to the wall. every last one of themJimbeaux said:
Perhaps the problem is that those "youngsters" are bhing about things that are less of a problem than they think but their youth and inexperience prohibits them from realizing so. We are becoming dangerously "anti-old" in the West as far as attitudes go. Most youths confidence and ego outweigh their true knowledge and experience. Be careful, wisdom cooks slowly, not in a microwave oven.
When was the last time a revolution was fought by the old though?hing about things that are less of a problem than they think but their youth and inexperience prohibits them from realizing so. We are becoming dangerously "anti-old" in the West as far as attitudes go. Most youths confidence and ego outweigh their true knowledge and experience. Be careful, wisdom cooks slowly, not in a microwave oven.While few are in a position to be on the streets, near enough everyone I know thinks something is "not right" about the way the world's economy is tanking, and yet the bankers that in previous crashes were jumping from skyscraper windows are still better off than everyone else.
I would have thought some sort of an idea for an alternative would be a pre-requisite for a successful revolution. It seems this lot is just the normal "It's not fair" brigade.
Reading some of the comments on the We are the 99% website the other day, one really stood out, I can't find it now but it was along the lines of "By the time my husband and I have paid the mortgage we can barely afford to put gas in our cars."
You have two cars and you're buying your house. It's a struggle for people world over, but you can hardly claim grinding poverty can you?
Anyway, you could probably end this revolution with a few kilos of cannabis and a Cheech & Chong movie. Then when they're all lolling around Central Park in a happy daze we walk in with some bats and stove their stupid empty heads in.
Reading some of the comments on the We are the 99% website the other day, one really stood out, I can't find it now but it was along the lines of "By the time my husband and I have paid the mortgage we can barely afford to put gas in our cars."
You have two cars and you're buying your house. It's a struggle for people world over, but you can hardly claim grinding poverty can you?
Anyway, you could probably end this revolution with a few kilos of cannabis and a Cheech & Chong movie. Then when they're all lolling around Central Park in a happy daze we walk in with some bats and stove their stupid empty heads in.
Jasandjules said:
Well, I for one hope that there are riots here and MPs, Judges and some celebrities are taken to see the Guillotine.......
We put up with all too much and say little in the UK. It's about time something was done about it.
If we still had winky incharge we would probably be sat outside Westminster just now.We put up with all too much and say little in the UK. It's about time something was done about it.
Pity labour lost
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