From: J Corbally (icorb@indigo.ie)
Date: Tue Jul 24 2001 - 17:33:40 MDT
>Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 16:54:35 +0100 (BST)
>From: soth@another.com
>Subject: Rioting all over the shop, was NEWS: Genoa Riots
>- --4454543.995903675930.JavaMail.root@www-a23
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>I only saw a little bit of the Genoan riots on the news recently but it
>strikes me that people don't need a reason to protest, especially violently.
>I live in Bradford, England and as anyone in England knows, Bradford has
>just suffered under some rather nasty race related riots. Essentially the
>BNP (British national party - a group of racist idiots) planned a march on
>the same day as an anti racist march through Bradford. On the day, no-one
>from the BNP turned up (the home secretary banned them) but over 1000
>asian youths (Pakistani and Indian) came out and had themselves a good old
>riot. The police tried to break it up but were overwhealmed by the
>superior numbers of the rioters. Only clever tactical skills by the
>commander of the cops allowed them to clear the streets but by that time
>the riots had raged for hours and had caused a great deal of damage.
>The interesting point is that most of the youths that rioted claimed that
>they were defending themselves from the BNP troublemakers and that the
>police had attacked the rioters first and with great brutality. Exactly
>how the rioters were defending themselves from racist thugs that were over
>200 miles away (tucked up safe and sound in bed, in London) escapes me.
Damn right. I firmly believe that the AG movement is, at very least,
providing an outlet for the same types who created the whole soccer
hooliganism movement in Europe, if not actively nurturing it. In fact, as
I'm sure you're aware, groups such as the BNP and the infamous Combat 18
and their continental counterparts are heavily involved in much of the
violence at soccer events, and they'll gladly latch on to the AG movement
as another way they can get to crack skulls. And imangine, maybe been seen
as heroes to boot!
>My point is (sorry it took so long getting there) that there seems to be a
>group present in western society that consists of young men (in their
>teens to their mid twenties) that live to cause trouble, they thrive on
>violence and hatred and really do not care who is on the recieving end of
>it. For instance, the greater part of damage done in Bradford was to asian
>businesses by asian rioters.
>How can we create a brighter future for mankind in general when such
>people exist? How can we channel their rage into something constructive? A
>lot of discussion on the list is to do with technology solving problems of
>the flesh (death, disease, limited intelligence/physical skills). Can
>anyone think of ways in which such technology could be turned upon the
>violent sections of society to change violence into something constructive.
Part of the problem is with regards to racism and such is that "they didn't
lick it off a stone", as we say here. Many of them learned this hatred on
Daddy's knee. He told them they were "real Brits", that they were better
than everyone else, and they owned this place. The change I think must
begin here, but I'd have to say it'll probably be a case of it having to
die out with the generations. Someone else here made the point that these
are good people operating from a warped model of how the society
works. I'd say this applies in some measure to both "The Firms" and the
AGers, although I'd be unlikely to consider them "good" people.
>I can only see technology helping here through education. I am doing a
>years work placement at a school/public computer centre and the reaction
>of some of the kids to the high tech look of the centre makes teaching
>them a lot easier, but there are still those trouble makers who refuse to
>behave. Unfortunately I saw more than one of the troublemakers from the
>school I'm working at on the TV, in the midst of the riots, throwing
>bricks at cops.
>On a side note, about the riots in Genoa. If you are rioting (and to my
>mind, you shouldn't be) and you attack an officer of the law, who is armed
>and who is charged with dispersing the rioters (i.e. you) and he then
>shoots you, then you really deserve everything you get. Stupidity does not
>further the human race one bit and maybe your death will serve as an
>example to protest peacefully and not to attack men with guns, with a fire
>extinguisher.
>Oli
>- ------------------
>"Last night as I lay in bed looking at the stars I thought
>'Where the hell is the ceiling?'"
Ultimately, the cop staring out from behind a riot shield is a human
being. He is likely to open fire when he feels justified, when he is under
intense stress, or when he's about to get his brains clubbed out. Most
people in that situation will defend themselves with whatever they
have. The rioters should really know better than to aggressively confront
_anyone_ with a firearm. It really is a bad move in ANY situation, and a
utterly stupid one in the high stress environment of a riot. I'm not
saying they deserve it, I'm saying that sooner or later (probably sooner)
the right conditions will arise for a tragedy.
These people, whether rioting about race of globalization, don't seem to be
able to see beyond the haze of their own rage.
James...
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and
crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures
to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
-Q, Star Trek:TNG episode 'Q Who'
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