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Britain
New Scientist analyses why middle classes joined UK riots
2011-08-14
Posted by:anon1

#11  See also CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > [UK Historian-Radio Broadcaster] DAVE STARKEY CLAIMS THAT "THE WHITES HAVE BECOME BLACKS". HISTORIAN PROVOKES WAVES OF CRITICISM AFTER [alleged Racist] REMARKS SURING TELEVISED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RIOTS ON BBC2'S NEWSNIGHT.

[Ex-POTUS BILL "FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT OF THE US" CLINTON here].

and

* SAME > UK PM DAVID CAMERON CONSIDERING
"COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT" FOR RIOTERS' FAMILIES' MEMBERS, i.e. forced expulsion = ban from low-cost Public Flats = Public Housing???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2011-08-14 22:10  

#10  And free...stuff!
Posted by: tu3031   2011-08-14 19:42  

#9  Rioting is quite the adrenaline rush.

Which is why nice middle class kids join in.
Posted by: phil_b   2011-08-14 18:37  

#8  Realized the typo a second late.
Posted by: Rjschwarz   2011-08-14 12:29  

#7  "Sanford collected garbage, Stanford disseminates it."

You go, NS! :-D
Posted by: Barbara   2011-08-14 12:25  

#6  That's Stanford experiment. Sanford collected garbage, Stanford disseminates it.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2011-08-14 11:50  

#5  Since the writer mentions the Sanford Experiment to push her explaination I figure I'll link to the Skeptoid transcript about said experiment:
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4102
Jump down to the bullet points for the rebutting and analysis.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2011-08-14 11:47  

#4  So what drives privileged or seemingly virtuous people to do bad things?

Good lord! Station in life is not an indicator of virtue or ethics. Mob mentality...blah..blah...blah. Every year we witness sports fans go on destructive rampages after the big game. (And that's after their team wins!) Now contrast that with the orderly behavior of the Japanese after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuke disaster. Stealing the proverbial loaf of bread to feed your family is one thing. Stealing a big screen TV cause everyone else is...well that's something quite different altogether.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2011-08-14 11:43  

#3  ..reminds me of the vids of the cops in New Orleans among the looters in a Walmart store, pushing a cart of goods towards the door. However, let's not forget the real looting that took place when the market started to tumble in 2008 and the people with influence got the Administration and Congress to loot the public treasury to cover their loses investments in financial institutions. Now there was some serious looting, though done with style rather than crass trailer park abandoned.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2011-08-14 09:58  

#2  Not sure about 1), but definitely agree with 2) and 3). And I like how the author excuses it as some sort of psy. grouping thing a la that prison experiment in the 1970s. All I can say is that I am CERTAIN that I wouldn't have joined in, call me crazee...there is no excuse for this crap at any time for any reason...
Posted by: Shakey Steve   2011-08-14 09:53  

#1  nb: new scientist is touchy about copyright, hence link-only post.

However it's quite interesting: a lifeguard, a teaching assistant and a millionaire's daughter all joined the looting.

still i think their conclusions are wrong.

they did it because:

1) the social contract between middle class and government is fraying in the long recession

2) the opportunity presented

3) they were sh*theads. Pure and simple.
Posted by: anon1   2011-08-14 09:40  

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