We can be certain that the debate about the causes of this weeks events will be the subject of endless journalistic opinion and far more dangerously will probably lead to a mass of university funding to posh academics; who have no idea what inner city life is like for the majority of poorly educated and housed, first and second generation immigrant children of differing cultures.
One of the problems confronting sociologists in any analysis, will be primarily identifying a specific English youth culture. Should we choose to label the majority of 13 - 25 year olds, we might call them working class, although the majority do not actually have full time jobs, there appears to be a common fashionable language. The roots of this language seem to be in American (US) Rap music, movement and speech, the culture reflects gang membership and this has been copied around the world and is associated with inferred violence.
American Film and Television celebrity culture seems to have a huge influence in western countries. In addition to this dream "X-Factor" culture that anyone can be famous and rich, in the UK young people are exposed to the Lottery Culture another promised life chance to be a winner.
The electrical, phone and computer gadget's and games, have been around and available to this present young generation for all of their lives. The absence of well paid jobs and affordable housing (the result of Thatcherism), to the young working class over the past 30 years, has altered the old traditions of marriage and family. A huge proportion of inner city youth come from single mother homes, as children they are the generation that demanded these luxury goods, often receiving them from officially absent or untraceable fathers. Criminality and in the last week the "riots" have provided another means to get just what they want.
Racial tensions, discrimination or defensiveness should not be excluded from any analysis, the deaths that have occurred sadly do appear to have a racial dimension. As ethnic groups have been left to take on the role of vigilantes trying to protect their own communities; they took on the risks that the police are trained and equipped to cope with. In Birmingham sadly and shamefully three lives have been taken by a very sick element within our society.
The film reports of looting clearly show many middle aged criminals, these are the role models for many of the youths, government is blaming the young as they always have and are at a loss to understand why youth always seems to be a problem to society.
From garroting in Victorian London to the the 1960's Mods and Rocker riots. We should never forget that politicians only survive by creating moral panics that get them votes at elections.
The breakdown of law and order on the streets particularly in London during the riots, could be attributed in part, to cuts in the Policing budgets by the coalition government, or deliberate negligence by the Police to strengthen their case for greater funding.
Education will always be blamed for the ignorance of the masses, but basic primary school education remains as good or bad as it has for the last 60 years. Secondary education is really a way to occupy the minds and interests of working class teenagers. They have always formed that essential reserve in the capitalist workforce, labelled in the good old days of full employment as 'factory fodder' and now as the unwanted product of the 'underclass'. Their materialism, addiction to drugs, binge drinking and pretending to have loads of friends on Facebook has made them into undoubtedly the saddest, most selfish, ignorant group that ever threatened any society with anarchy.
Our prisons are filled with over 80,000 inmates, locking up even more stupid people is not a solution. Employment and responsibility is what our younger generation need, to build their self-esteem, their confidence and to have a future worth working towards.
The police and the politicians have been tarnished with corruption recently. We live in a basically dishonest society, there really are no role models. How many good English citizens would exaggerate an insurance claim I wonder, I fear far too many; how many bankers or business people are honest and ethical, not too many I guess.
This weeks events in England were not really "riots", they were an exhibition of the despicable behaviour of a broken greedy and sick society that may be beyond salvation !!!
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