Comment by cryptoz | Hacker News Reader

Comment by cryptoz | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

There are deeper issues. There's a big difference between excuses and explanations: there are no excuses for the behavior, but there's plenty of reason to search for explanations. Why are the riots happening? People don't smash things just because they want to. There's a reason, even if you disagree with it and think it's unjust.

I'm not sure what the reasons are behind the riots, but I'm sure that they are not "random" and (haha) "isolated" as the BBC often puts it. The interview here shows the BBC "reporter" asking leading questions to attempt to deceive her audience and to curve the conversation to fit a pre-determined story. She attempts to discredit him on numerous occasions. Her behavior is childish and irresponsible - and THAT is the deeper issue I see here.

I don't know why the riots are happening the way they are, but the police and the BBC (and most other media) are handling it very poorly. There are deeper issues, whether you like that fact or not.

> People don't smash things just because they want to. There's a reason, even if you disagree with it and think it's unjust.

14-18 year old punks do exactly that... smash things just because they want.

First, most of the serious arson and crime in these riots seems to be committed by adults.

> 14-18 year old punks do exactly that... smash things just because they want.

Second, if that's the case then why aren't 14-18 year olds smashing things daily in California? And Tokyo? And all over the world? The question is why England? Why right now? Why not two weeks ago?

Those are valid questions to ask, and searching for answers is a useful activity. It will reveal knowledge about humans, help us build better societies in the future.

Ignoring all causes and blindly, ignorantly saying that people smash things "just because" is just as dumb as the people smashing things.

> First, most of the serious arson and crime in these riots seems to be committed by adults.

That's contrary to every single image and video published.

> Second, if that's the case then why aren't 14-18 year olds smashing things daily in California? And Tokyo? And all over the world? The question is why England? Why right now? Why not two weeks ago?

Why would they? No one is claiming that all 14-18 year olds do this... Only a sub-group that have nothing better to do, that have no supervision, that blame everyone for everything, that think this is all LOLs and fun, that want to take rather than work, that want to destroy rather than create, etc.

Events occur that develop criticality (group size, slow response of police, etc) all the time.

It's simple: # of punks + no police response = looting and burning.

Just take a look at the videos on the right... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14461431

It absolutely is NOT SIMPLE.

I agree that mob mentality can reach "criticality" and cause crazy stuff to happen over one night. The thing that makes this different from a football riot (or the WTO riots), however, is that the activity is sustained and spreading. I feel it demonstrates an intense hate on the part of the rioters.

This kind of violence indicates a core problem which cannot be addressed in the long term by police swinging billy clubs and shooting water cannons. I expect that this will get ugly at some point in the future even if the police manage to quell the immediate problem.

Exactly right. These disaffected young people clearly feel that they are not a part of society, so they're just going to take from it what they can whilst they can. I'm not saying it's justified, just that that's how it is.

Now the reason for them feeling that way is at least partially the fault of our society, and we need to ask ourselves some deeper questions on why this happens. To do otherwise and to just call them "yobs" is sticking your head in the sand.

And have you seen the pictures of the police kicking the crap out of some boy whilst he's on the ground? How can the police possibly justify that? He's on the ground! You've got him! Well done! NOW - Just arrest him!

Maybe it's just a case of this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424

Reply on news.ycombinator.com