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We have all been deeply shocked and angered by the events of the last few days. But what action should we take to deal with the immediacy of the crisis and to consider preventing a repetition?
I broke my holiday on Monday morning to return to my constituency and have discussions with police and community leaders in the three London Boroughs that I represent (Hackney Islington and Waltham Forest). I raised a number of concerns, witnessed MPS senior staff willing to accept outside help and was inspired by the commitment from all the parties to want to move forward together. Some had seen it all before and thought they would never witness it again; others were shocked to see for the first time scenes more redolent of an urban war zone.
It is easy to assume we have some quick fixes. There has been much criminal activity and the police will, quite rightly, investigate that thoroughly. But there are broader and more complex issues here. My position is this:
Enforce the law -- people I have spoken to do not want any 'no-go' areas for the police in London; criminal behaviour must be dealt with using the full force of the law
Let the IPCC do it's job -- we argued for this body to exist as an alternative to the police service investigating itself. They need time to assemble the facts surrounding the death of Mark Duggan and to make recommendations
Adopt economic policies that support local people -- the recession has left some people facing real hardship and there are concerns about social dislocation. We need policies that will enable investment and growth, rather than a focus on what will be the next area to be cut
As the violence extends for a third night, covering more and more parts of our city, we have moved well beyond the death of Mark Duggan and the peaceful protest led by his family and friends. I have had pleas from at least two separate quarters for the introduction of water cannon; I fear that we may soon start to hear demands for the army to be deployed. Those on the streets will not win -- but they make us pay a very big price for their defeat.
Follow Jennette Arnold on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennettearnold
The crooks at the top always think there will be no consequences to their brazen disregard for morals and laws.
That's because the effect is insidiously corroded the societies bonds.
Not one of us lives a second without the support and protection of civilization, of our republics.
All that needs to happen to sweep away all civilization is for too many people to feel no hope, justice or share.
We are on the edge of world chaos.
How about the prime minister goes out and announces reversals to the austerity programs, to taxation of the rich, to jailing the banksters, and breaking up the multinationals, so the citizens can prosper, not just the super rich?
This is not as much a physical problem, requiring guns and police as much as it is a social, as a psychological problem.
"When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny." John Adams
"As riches increase and accumulate in few hands . . . the tendency of things will be to depart from the republican standard." Alexander Hamilton
"I hope we shall . . . crush in [its] birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations." Thomas Jefferson
And in London, it's the result of the government confiscating the guns of law abiding citizens so that the only people with guns are the thugs and criminals.
The poor don't have time for class warfare or world domination, that's the hobby of the rich. We have the highest concentration of wealth in 90 years.
Why to you hate the republic, and your fellow citizens, and so lover the super rich?
The haven't been in liberals in power since Carter. It'as all been Reaganomics, that's what failed. But your opposite glasses must glued to your head.
I have been taught to rely on the gov't. To police the streets, put out the fires, to build and maintain the infrastructure, to defend the nation, to educate our children, keep our water and air clean, to pick up a letter from my door and for $.44 deliver it to someone on the other side the country, and a number of other things I'm sure I'm forgetting because it's always been there.
I haven't learned to rely on my gov't take my money and deliver it to large corporations with a smile on their face. Or borrow from my grandkids and give it to the wealthy.
Doesn't it seem strange that the net worth of the wealthy is more than the amount of the national debt?
reap what you sow
these things don't happen in vacuums you know. there is a cause/effect relationship.
if I were British I would celebrate the "thugs" for possibly sending a message to your leaders that if they keep lying and selling out the "people" there are consequences.
is a republic. But don’t lets get into semantics, unless someone has a dictionary handy?
"Enforce the law"
and do away with the police force at the same time?
Let the IPCC do it's job
Stonewalling complaints, that unaddressed eventually festered into this mess.
"Those on the streets will not win"
Because that would only happen in democracy, where all were considered equal?
This is possibly the only sensible comment I've read so far, that includes our political geniuses running this country who just want to shoot, jail or whip the perpetrators into submission, pity, theres just not enough police/armed forces left who'll blindly follow orders issued by upper class twits who caused the mess in the first place.
"a Challenge to our Democracy"?
More like a challenge to consumerism if not capitalism.