Wealth and riots (Douglas Young)

From a recent article in the Daily Telegraph, by Mary Riddell, and I quote: “[L]ast year alone, the combined fortunes of the 1,000 richest people in Britain rose by 30 per cent to £333.5 billion.” If you can’t, or more likely refuse, to see the connection with the riots, you live in a different world from me. Do not insult me by suggesting I am condoning those responsible, and if you did not bother to vote in the last election, keep quiet as you are not a member of the electorate.

Douglas Young
Sumburgh.

COMMENTS(24)

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  • Gordon Harmer

    • August 10th, 2011 12:22

    This is just the kind of left wing claptrap that would incite some work shy morons to riot and believe it was justified.

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  • Rachael Johnson

    • August 10th, 2011 17:11

    I would love to know, how Gordon Harmer knows, that every one of those rioting people are unemployed – did the media tell you?

    Here, here, Douglas!

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  • Gordon Harmer

    • August 10th, 2011 18:17

    Rachael Johnson should read what is written I said SOME work shy morons, but whether employed or not, looting shops and burning down innocent peoples houses is abhorrent.
    I believe this is the Gramsci Marxist apocalypse and the left are all loving it.

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  • Rachael Johnson

    • August 10th, 2011 20:30

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/08/context-london-riots

    You would do well to look at this article, and consider opening your mind up to the possibility, that these people are fed up of being abused by the system that is supposed to aid them in their lives.

    How can you expect a man to act like a human being, when you take away his humanity?

    Or

    If you take away a mans ability to earn self-respect, how can you expect him to respect others?

    ‘Those condemning the events of the past couple of nights in north London and elsewhere would do well to take a step back and consider the bigger picture: a country in which the richest 10% are now 100 times better off than the poorest, where consumerism predicated on personal debt has been pushed for years as the solution to a faltering economy, and where, according to the OECD, social mobility is worse than any other developed country.’ (A quote from the above linked article)

    Now that ^ is grim!

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  • P Fraser

    • August 10th, 2011 22:55

    The so called ‘riots’ that the apologists Mr Young and Ms Johnston seek to excuse are in fact acts of murder, arson and planned looting. Those committing those acts are neither abused nor deprived; their problem is that they have never had it so good. Never before in our history has the young had so much given to them on a plate or have had so many opportunities. The fact that some make a decision to reject basic honesty in favour of crime is no fault of those who chose honest work to make better lives for themselves and to make society better.

    P Fraser
    August 10 2011

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  • Ali Inkster

    • August 10th, 2011 23:50

    “where consumerism predicated on personal debt has been pushed for years as the solution to a faltering economy’
    Was that not the mantra of Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. For 13 years they drove the economy in to the pit it is now and many predicted for 13 years that there would come a time we would have to pay the piper. their opinions were were ignored by “the system” and they were abused by taxation and red tape designed to create a million extra civil service jobs while stifling industry and rewarding sloth. And now the gravy train is derailed some mindless morons see it as an excuse to smash steal and even kill.
    Don’t encourage them by making excuses for them, they don’t need it.

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  • Gordon Harmer

    • August 11th, 2011 7:28

    Its people like you that are the problem, always making excuses for these thugs and thieves they should be made responsible for their actions. Its nothing to do with a void between rich and and poor, its about education and discipline or a massive lack of it.
    The blame lies firmly at the door of the politically correct brigade and the human and civil rights left wing Trotsky always in your face activists, who the politicians are running scared of.
    These rioters are criminals out of control and should be punished, some are obviously being egged on by their parents knowing fine well the justice system which has been infiltrated by the lefty do gooders will only slap their wrists.
    You do not thieve and riot because some one is better of than you, what you do aspire to better your self and not blame others because you have to thieve designer clothes instead of buy them.
    These jobs have been interviewed on the TV and radio they all seem to have a vocabulary of about fifty words and every sentence end in bruv. If they have been let down it has been by governments who have lowered education standards to make the results look good. They have been let down by pressure from lefty organisations who have had discipline removed from the class room. Parents are not allowed to discipline their kids, and all this is leading to the break down of society and we are now witnessing it live on the TV. Who are to blame, left wing Trotski, Gramsci, Marxist do gooders masquerading as civil / human rights and politically correct activists.
    Finally these riots are being orchestrated by adults the evidence is there on the TV all news channels are reporting this, ask your self who has anything to gain from this. It can only be politicly motivated by some extreme left wing group who will not be happy until this country is a communist state.

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  • Sylvia Shearan

    • August 11th, 2011 11:14

    If you actually read Mr Young’s letter he does say “Do not insult me by suggesting I am condoning those responsible ….”

    Gordon I feel sorry for you, you seem to be a very angry individual. Also, before you criticise education and other people’s vocabulary you should proof read your own rantings.

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  • Ron Stronach

    • August 11th, 2011 12:25

    Someone who thinks the economic situation has cause these riots must be living on another planet.
    The riots supposedly started after the police shot a man reportedly with a gun. Others then jumoed on the bandwagon, rent a mob turned up and all hell broke loose.
    These people who did the looting didn’t steal food so that they could survive, they stole designer gear to wear and electronic items to sell.
    They forceably removed law abiding people from their cars so they could set light to them. They physically threatened some shop owners and then ransacked their shops – electrical goods, not Tesco’s for some meat and tatties!.

    Items that law abiding citizens like me who have worked to get said items. Yes there is an economic crisis, but there are jobs out there. Stealing is against the law, likewise busting up shops, harming innocent people, those who have done it deserve nothing in return other then contempt and a long jail sentence without privilages.

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  • Rachael Johnson

    • August 11th, 2011 13:32

    That’s ‘Johnson’, thank you, P. Fraser

    ‘Never before in our history has the young had so much given to them on a plate or have had so many opportunities – Evidence of this, please.

    ‘The fact that some make a decision to reject basic honesty in favour of crime is no fault of those who chose honest work to make better lives for themselves and to make society better.’ – I don’t know if you were watching the news last night, but lecturers, teachers and students have all been involved in these riots…

    A very good point Sylvia, who is actually defending the rioters? I am in no way agreeing with what they have done, and as a tax payer, it will be my money paying for the fix-up. I do however have the ability to look past what the media and Tory government tells me, and seek to find other answers.

    Gordon, you keep banging on about the ‘tv’ – ‘Finally these riots are being orchestrated by adults the evidence is there on the TV all news channels are reporting this’ – are you aware that the BBC is controlled by the government?

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  • Gordon Harmer

    • August 11th, 2011 19:15

    Sylvia I am not angry and I don’t need you to feel sorry for me, ok so I have a problem with grammar and I make a few fat finger mistakes with the key board. Maybe it has something to do with the way I was educated and the treatment I received at the hands of the English welfare state in my early years. But I didn’t show my anger ( not that I had any )by burning innocent peoples houses down, looting shops and showing total disrespect all forms of authority.
    My rant as you refer to it is based on seven years of first hand experience at the hands of people who should have been there to help me prepare for life. Trained people, who instead of preparing me for life gave me a list of excuses and people to blame if and when I ever went off the rails. But for the influence of one wise old school teacher and an even wiser Grandmother I would not be where I am today. Sylvia I have teenage experiences and stories relating to the English child care system that would make your ears bleed but they are not for printing on this forum and they have formed my views. Oh and by the way I was not having a go at Douglas Young but at the journalist Mary Riddle who penned the statement.
    Racheal I don’t know where you get the idea that the government control the BBC , you obviously don’t watch Panorama, a program that could not be more anti government if it tried. If you had seen Channel four’s reports you would have seen first hand evidence that the riots were orchestrated by adults on mobiles. Plus printed evidence in the form of leaflets giving rioters instructions on not grassing on others if they were detained by the police. As for your link to the guardian, that paper should have a red label with a hammer and sickle in the top corner.

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  • Rosa Steppanova

    • August 12th, 2011 0:14

    Oh dear. We live in dangerous times it seems. The oldest fish in my pond – a fish I’m very fond of – is called Trotsky, named in memory of a great politician and socialist (oops, perhaps I shouldn’t have said this). I’m worried now. Should I venture into town? I might be recognized as a dangerous leftie by Gordon Hamer? Do you think I should perhaps purchase a burka to wear during my weekly shopping trips to the capital? I’m gravely concerned about my personal safety and hope the readers of the Shetland Times can advice me on this matter – urgently!

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  • Rachael Johnson

    • August 12th, 2011 11:56

    Gordon, I am not even going to bother anymore, you clearly have no idea what I’m talking about – perhaps you should do your research, before making statements…?

    If anyone else wishes to educate Mr Harmer, about the government control of the BBC, then feel free…

    Rosa, I have to admit, I’m a little worried about being recognised by Gordon, not because he would recognise me as a ‘dangerous leftie’, but because speaking to him, is like hitting my head upon a brick wall – something I am not too fond of!

    Cheers me dears, I’ll let you fight this one out on your own.

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  • Gordon Harmer

    • August 12th, 2011 12:47

    Rosa I would worry more about your mental stability than your personal safety you seem a bit confused on many points. Trotsky, not a great politician, not a champion of the working class but a mass murderer. I don’t think you are a danger to anyone but yourself but I believe watching fish is soothing and therapeutic so don’t worry you will come at.

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  • Kevin McAuley

    • August 13th, 2011 1:20

    At the end of the day folks, I think this is just the beginning or perhaps the beginning of the end of society as we know it? When we have MP’s helping themselves to our money (via fraudulent expenses etc’) and then trying to justify it………………… do any of you think it would have been possible for you or any of your friends to remain in their jobs, no we would have been sacked and jailed, end of story! But,, not that lot, most of whom did not have the decency to resign! Most of the current “Coalition Government Cabinet” are millionaires, with very little idea of life in the real world! IMHO, it would be perhaps a failing of me not to suggest they are there to become richer, by any means fair or foul?

    Now,, I have lived in some very rough area’s in my time, some of them had up to 70% unemployment, there was no jobs back then (Thatcher Era) and you lived on your wits and not much more, but there was no rioting, because we had a healthy respect for the police and even if we had nothing we were brought up in a respectful manner, we were also much loved by our parents whom believed in, “spare the rod and spoil the child”! Now when you have a society based on greed, with little moral fiber, where parents are so busy trying to earn a crust, with little or no time to actually do any parenting and even if they do, they are not allowed to chastise a wayward child, they are beyond parental control and do as they please! Everything has cause and effect, MP’s on the take, Police taking bribes, shoot to kill policies, stop and search for mainly black youths, 25% youth unemployment, much higher if you are black…………………….. It’s not hard to see why these types of public disorder might start, with deep routed hatred and mistrust for anyone in authority especially the Police, some of which may be justified? Then you are going to get riots and I would imagine plenty of them once the more austere government cuts kick in …………….. Trouble is, anything can set this off and these kids, a lot of whom have been dragged up, perhaps the only person they respect is their gang leader, street cred is being jailed, a badge of honor! Cutting off their dole aint going to help, they’ll just go out and thieve more, evicting them I hear you ask, the last place you want this lot to be is on the street on a permanent basis!

    Now, do I condone any of these riots, in no way shape or form as usually it’s the innocent working class man who picks up the tab, via house insurance or car insurance, extra taxes etc’! The youths don’t actually give a 2 monkeys, from what we have witnessed I believe we have lost them to an underclass already? The policy makers are too busy on holidays, lining their own pockets or burying their heads in the sand!

    Regards, Kevin McAuley.

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  • Peter Dodge

    • August 13th, 2011 21:55

    Anybody got any idea where these rioters in England stash their untaxed wealth, the Caymans perhaps or Jersey and what kind of interest do they get? Perhaps if it is retrieved the imminent financial meltdown will be set back by a fortnight. Oops sorry, for rioters that should have read corporate magnates and cabinet ministers.
    Is their room for two on your dual nationality passport Rosa?

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  • Gordon Harmer

    • August 15th, 2011 11:21

    Rachael, you carry on banging your head against the wall, you just might knock some sense into your confused brain. The BBC has always been accused of being a left wing organisation there are thousands of items to prove this on the internet, if you knew what research meant you would know this. I have copied part of an article from Wicipedia which is one of the more moderate views on the BBC and it says the BBC is institutionally biased’ towards the left-wing not controlled by a right and centre coalition.
    BBC News forms a major department of the BBC, and regularly receives complaints of bias, mostly of being overly left-wing, while some on the left criticise the BBC of being a part of the establishment. The Centre for Policy Studies – founded and run by prominent members of the centre-right Conservative Party says that, “Since at least the mid-1980s, the BBC has often been criticised for a perceived bias against those on the centre-right of politics. Similar allegations have been made by past and present employees such as Antony Jay, former political editor Andrew Marr. North American editor Justin Webb, former editor of the Today Programme Rod Liddle, former correspondent Robin Aitken and Peter Sissons, a veteran news anchor. Mark Thompson, the current BBC Director General, has recently admitted: “In the BBC I joined 30 years ago there was, in much of current affairs, in terms of people’s personal politics, which were quite vocal, a massive bias to the left.”
    Accusations of a left-wing bias were often made against the BBC by members of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in the 1980s. Norman Tebbit called the BBC the “Stateless Person’s Broadcasting Corporation” because of what he regarded as its unpatriotic and neutral coverage of the Falklands War and Conservative MP Peter Bruinvels called it the “Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation”. Thatcher did not agree with the Television licence, she wanted to deregulate British broadcasting and she regarded the BBC as over-manned and uncompetitive, as well as biased against her. Throughout the 1980s her government appointed more and more Conservatives to the Board of Governors of the BBC. Steve Barnett noted in The Observer that “back in 1980, George Howard, the hunting, shooting and fishing aristocratic pal of Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw, was appointed [BBC chairman] because Margaret Thatcher couldn’t abide the thought of distinguished Liberal Mark Bonham-Carter being promoted from vice-chairman. “Then there was Stuart Young, accountant and brother of one of Thatcher’s staunchest cabinet allies, who succeeded Howard in 1983. He was followed in 1986 by Marmaduke Hussey, brother-in-law of another Cabinet Minister who was plucked from the obscurity of a directorship at Rupert Murdoch’s Times Newspapers. According to Norman Tebbit, then Tory party chairman, Hussey was appointed ‘to get in there and sort the place out, and in days not months.” But controversies continued with the likes of the Nationwide general election special with Thatcher in 1983, a Panorama documentary called Maggie’s Militant Tendency, the Real Lives interview with Martin McGuinness, the BBC’s coverage of the United States’ 1986 Bombing of Libya and the Zircon affair. In 1987 the Director-General of the BBC, Alasdair Milne, was forced to resign. Thatcher later said: “I have fought three elections against the BBC and don’t want to fight another against it.” In 2006 Tebbit said: “The BBC was always against Lady Thatcher.

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  • Rosa Steppanova

    • August 17th, 2011 9:25

    I don’t own a dual nationality passport Peter, but I could lend you my burka if that’s any use.

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  • Rachael Johnson

    • August 17th, 2011 19:11

    Gordon, Wikipedia is written by the public, and therefore not a reliable source of information. Anyone can go on to Wikipedia and edit what is written.

    Cheers

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  • Gordon Harmer

    • August 17th, 2011 21:14

    Exactly Rachael it is written by the general public who see the BBC for what it is institutionally biased towards the left wing not run by a right and centre coalition. You seem to think you are right but you are also part of the general public and according to you not a reliable source of information.

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  • Robert Smith

    • August 24th, 2011 9:42

    Anyone who says the BBC don’t have a left wing bias has relinquished all credibility. BBC radio shetland being a shining (if minor) example.

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  • ian Tinkler

    • August 24th, 2011 10:07

    Bias is dependent on your of position. To a Fidel Castro the BBC would be right wing, to Hitler rather to the left. To me this discussion is rather pointless, and frankly who cares. Individuals in the BBC all have their own individual views; as yet we have no state or media censorship.

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  • D J Smith

    • August 25th, 2011 23:35

    Why can’t supposedly intelligent people have a debate without resorting to personal insults/remarks,We live in a democracy and while i dont agree with what you say i will fight for your right to say so,[great quote but cannae mind who].Cut out the belligerence and have a debate properly,and i will add my tuppence for what its worth with ‘Its better to die on your feet,than to die on your knees’ Spanish civil war,freedom of speech YES,but with it comes morals and responsibility to others.

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  • Robert Smith

    • September 1st, 2011 20:44

    Bias is not dependent of your “of position” (sic), Mr Tinkler. It is dependent on your political standpoint. Left or right – statist or individualist – authoratarian or libertarian.
    The BBC is clearly, undeniably “left”, “statist” and pro – authoritarian.
    To deny this is risible.

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