Quote: Kenneth @ August 9 2011, 2:59 AM BST
You're right; "unrest" was a poor choice of word. Let's call it "violence". Have you seen the big expanse of buildings ablaze (live footage) on the ABC, which is describing it simply as "somewhere in London"? Is it Enfield? Surprising that no deaths have been reported yet.
I'm making lame jokes about the inferiority of the Great Wen, Birmingham and Manchester. In Aussie terms I'm the equivalent of Bob Katter.
It seems strange that a certain sort of breach has occurred in the rule of law and some people have decided they can do what they like, just because they feel like it. England was once proud of its lack of popular violence compared with the continentals. It is a shame indeed.
What's the solution though? I'm not sure. Rightly or wrongly the West decided decades ago that it was better to allow riots than unnecessarily risk lives, even those of rioters, by really crushing them. Sometimes I agree with (then) governor Ronald Reagan when he emphatically told Professors at Berkeley that the death of several student protestors was not the fault of the police or himself, but those among the students who had decided it was up to them which laws they'd obey or did not obey.