I read the news today oh boy! Page 463

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ August 9 2011, 2:40 PM BST

Well that's bollocks. History is full of peasant revolts. France used to have them on an annual basis.

What we're looking at here is people who can't afford the finer things in life stealing them, so poverty certainly is a factor.

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I bet you would find the large majority of the people committing these crimes have mobile phones, televisions and computer consoles already and have no worry where their next meal is coming from; that isn't poverty. That's why I said it isn't poverty. I understand there have been peasant revolts through the ages but your comment ignores the fact that there have still been millions and millions of people living in poverty who haven't done this.

Quote: Corey O'Graffor @ August 9 2011, 2:50 PM BST

I bet you would find the large majority of the people committing these crimes have mobile phones, televisions and computer consoles already and have no worry where their next meal is coming from; that isn't poverty. That's why I said it isn't poverty. I understand there have been peasant revolts through the ages but your comment ignores the fact that there have still been millions and millions of people living in poverty who haven't done this.

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Agreed. These guys are thugs.

I also agree that "poverty" probably doesn't describe these people's situation. I've seen proper poverty, and you don't tend to get it much in north London.

From http://www.cpag.org.uk/povertyfacts/

A widely-used measure of poverty is where household income is below 60 per cent of the median UK income after housing costs have been paid

(Lots of people are under this before rent, council tax, etc is taken off of amount to give these statistics)

England - 11,615,000, or 23% of the English population

(Can't find data on distribution but think it's fair to say that this does not include the higher expense of living in London, but where many people live because it's their best bet of getting work or because it's their home, with friends and family)

That's a lot of people who genuinely struggle to pay for enough food on a weekly basis. The vast majority of these people would never harm anyone just because they were pissed off at being poorer.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ August 9 2011, 3:03 PM BST

I doubt if baton rounds will be used. They are very dangerous. I would use water canon, it is very effective and causes minimal injury. They get so wet they can hardly move and can then be arrested easily. We need to see more arrests though, for causing civil disorder. Don't just let them run away like they have been doing.

But the Army should be doing the riot control now, not the police. The Police have already failed.

Schools are on holiday, use school halls to keep the main offenders in until it all dies down.

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But apparently we haven't got any water cannons on the British mainland. What do we do? Import them and wait for them to arrive?

I've heard about a similar weapon called Skunk or something which is a jet with a smelly product in it which takes days to wash out or your skin and hair and months to get it out of clothes.

Am told there are literally hundreds of officers around Hackney where the riots were last night. Wish they'd spread out a bit, looks like rioters will just see them and go further up. This means next to my flat

Apparently there were two lootings on shopping streets five minutes walk from my flat last night. Fortunately there's nothing worth robbing, apart from maybe a pawnbrokers, outside my place.

Kinda disappointing really. It's been a while since I uploaded something to YouTube.

Quote: catskillz @ August 9 2011, 2:46 PM BST

Have you ever heard how, when a frog is placed in a pan of boiling water, it will immediately jump out, but if it's placed in a pan of water that is gradually heated up to boiling point, it will just sit there and boil to death?

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Alas, the boiling frog is an urban myth. When the water gets too hot, the frog tries to jump out.

Yes we have, The Army have quite a few. They're not all mobile APC types like you see in Israel. You just attach a cannon to a hydrant or wash out, and use it from street level. Only The Army are licenced to use them, I think that's where the 'we haven't got any' line's coming from. We've got them but I don't think Cameron wants to use the Army as it looks a bit bad on the telly.

I think it would look awesome.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ August 9 2011, 3:23 PM BST

Yes we have, The Army have quite a few. They're not all mobile APC types like you see in Israel. You just attach a cannon to a hydrant or wash out, and use it from street level. Only The Army are licenced to use them, I think that's where the 'we haven't got any' line's coming from. We've got them but I don't think Cameron wants to use the Army as it looks a bit bad on the telly.

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According to TV last night, the water cannon are all in Northern Ireland (though maybe it's the army that has them there, certainly). However Northern Ireland is hardly the other side of the world.

Quote: Kenneth @ August 9 2011, 3:23 PM BST

Alas, the boiling frog is an urban myth. When the water gets too hot, the frog tries to jump out.

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Either way, it's cruel and shouldn't happen. Poor bloody frog.

News from social networking sites that rioters are heading to Hackney with tear gas

I'm with Cameron. Getting the army involved would look terrible on the global stage. Like we're some banana republic or something.

Our cops are more than capable of administering a beating or two, and I don't think public opinion would go against them if they got some practice in tonight.

Quote: AJGO @ August 9 2011, 3:42 PM BST

News from social networking sites that rioters are heading to Hackney with tear gas

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Tear gas? Where the hell would these nobheads get tear gas?

Quote: AJGO @ August 9 2011, 3:42 PM BST

News from social networking sites that rioters are heading to Hackney with tear gas

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The rioters have got tear gas?

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ August 9 2011, 3:44 PM BST

I'm with Cameron. Getting the army involved would look terrible on the global stage. Like we're some banana republic or something.

Our cops are more than capable of administering a beating or two, and I don't think public opinion would go against them if they got some practice in tonight.

Tear gas? Where the hell would these nobheads get tear gas?

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I dunno, Kevin, can we look any worse than we do now?

People forced to strip and robbed...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024001/Forced-strip-naked-street-Shocking-scenes-rioters-steal-clothes-rifle-bags-people-make-way-home.html