adding to the glut

There’s going to be lots of blog posts, editorials and god knows there’s been enough Twitter activity about the recent riots. And god also knows, because he knows everything*, you won’t agree with most of it.

Twitter is the strongest example of this, mostly because its 140 character limit makes everything sound like a clumsy aphorisms or rallying calls from Dickhead Island.

I don’t think that this glut of words come from anyone claiming to have any answers, or even any real strong arguments either way. The reason why there will be a lot of people writing is that is how most people think. Writing forces you to reach into the brain soup and pull out the mixture of vague ideas, feelings and images things that will make sense to others, and often as a result, yourself.

What I’m saying is: I don’t have the answers. Its gone three in the morning, and I’m sitting out of my window watching the lights of the city in the distance, trying to make out the sound of sirens. If you don’t agree with the things I write here I’m not interested in an argument. Partly because I’ve lost a lot of respect for some people over the last few days and gain a lot more for others, and partly because these are notes, a man trying to find himself a way out of a maze of smoke using words as his bread crumbs back to normality.

First of all I want to make it very clear that I condemn the riots in the strongest possible terms. I’m looking to find the cause rather than excuse the behaviour. And if you can’t see a difference then I probably wouldn’t carry on reading.

One criticism of the rioters is there lack of agenda, or the agenda being shallow. That theft and malice are enough to get people into the streets. This bothers me, does there have to be a coherent agenda and organised thought for there to be a message?

We’ve scoffed at anyone interviewed because of the inarticulate way they’ve expressed themselves rather than ask why they can’t. Marshall McLuhan pointed out ‘the medium is the message’ Rioting is a primal scream, guttural and clumsy but undeniably loud. So what are we being told?

Riots are about anger, fire being man’s most natural extension of his rage, violence following anger like smoke follows the flames. We must ask ourselves ‘why are people angry?’

Riots are about control, normal rules suspended and briefly in some patches, mob rule and empowerment over the very people who’s status over you is something you’re aware of everyday. We have to ask ‘why do people feel powerless?’

And yes riots are about looting, a easy answer leapt upon like the lame gazelle by most commentators to explain it all in one dismissive pounce. Instantly demonising everyone involved as ‘greedy’ thus providing the an answer which leaves no one complicit, especially not them. But why are our generation rioters looting so much? Why is greed higher on this generations agenda than any other?

Could it be that given no prospects to advance the only way perceived way to improve your status is through material goods? It’s a generation raised fluent in the idea of themselves as a perceived brand than supported to grow spiritually or emotionally. I’ve seen this idea of brand of self override self-preservation, common decency and in a few case’s basic human empathy – the idea that you can’t be seen to weaken, concede to save face.

Nike tells them to ‘just do it’ but none tells them how or even what ‘it’ is.

In a society where people can only articulate themselves with violence, education has failed. In a system where the police use fear and ignorance instead of respect and communication then our state has failed. And anywhere where we only start having these sorts of conversations is after violent protest then democracy itself has failed.

Of course spending two years at the sharp end of our educational system in the most deprived and violent catchment areas in Birmingham will colour my thinking somewhat. So if you must dismiss me on the grounds of my hand wringing leftism please don’t think its because I don’t know what I’m talking about.

*except how to stop his representatives from diddling kids.