August 14, 2011 11:38 AM BST
The last recession we had in the 80's sparked a revolution in the UK. In the 80s there were bad football riots, every weekend almost. Black and white people did not mix, not en mass anyway, and there were lots of racial tension.
The country was a dark place to be in.
But one thing changed all that almost over night. Music.
More specifically, dance music, acid house. Instead of rioting rival football fans began taking ecstasy and partying all night at illegal raves all around the M25, mixing with black people, posh white people, all kinds of people really.
Yes, there was trouble at these parties, they were organized by criminals, mostly football gang leaders, and there would often be confrontations between the police and party goers, I remember being at a farm somewhere near Oxford in 89 dancing in a huge marquee completely off my tits on E when a riot broke out. The police came with dogs and they wanted to end the party, no way, we fought back, without covering our faces, without throwing petrol bombs, without looting, without much violence really, though it was nasty at the time i admit, but quite sure no one got hurt.
These parties carried on into the 90, the music reflected the new generation perfectly. We came together in the face of absurdity, sticking two fingers up at Thatchers "there is no such thing as society" , effectively ignoring anyone who dared stop us. Drugs are bad, we were told, we didnt see it, we took them and had fun, we had fun for years. Most of us grew up into stable citizens eventually, though there were casualties, there always would be.
Now lets look at what most kids listen too now. Hip hop. Gangsta rap, grime, dubstep.
I like those genres of music, but their not exactly positive. Hip hop and gangsta rap is responsible for turning skinny white kids into faux gangsta niggers, or as Chris Moyles eloquently calls them, ONGI's, Oh My God Init!
Its not just in london, but peterborough, norwich, they all have these disillusioned white kids who somehow think their black and all gangsta, just because they smoked some strong skunk weed and seen a few Snoop Dogg videos on MTV.
There are some white kigs, Wiggers, who actually try to speak with a jamaican influence, even though the closest they got to jamaica is singing Day O at some distant wedding.
Music is a very powerful tool, very powerful, should never be underestimated, or ignored.
Hip hop and gangsta rap is littered with negative messages, promoting violence, rape, racial tension, robbery, murder. So naturally kids will pick up on this because a; its either Jedward or the Saturdays as an alternative, b; it will make them look harder if they are seen to like hip hop.
The attitudes reflected by this music is all too obvious on the streets nowadays. It has turned the weak minded into selfish and ignorant morons, who seem to think that violence is the only viable answer.
Of course, music is just a small part of the bigger picture, but its a part of it nonetheless and so far no one has cottoned on to this yet, apart from me, so i am either way off the mark here or an idiot myself, and unusually i dont think i am this time.
August 14, 2011 11:50 AM BST
Andrea,
As I said in my first post here......I was lucky to only be on the edges of the rioting here. I don't and didn't think it was funny - I was scared (shitless??) even though I was with a man - it ain't easy to run in heels and I am no spring chicken so would never have got away. Having been mugged in Paris (many years ago) I don't relish physical violence or take these situations lightly, but I do think that black humour may help assuage some of the angst.
All my posts on this issue have tried to be provocative. The sound bite answers that are given by Cameron et al - who had a real grilling on BBC North West last Friday (when he visited the area) - and by the way it surprised him to be attacked - the questioner asked him why he was on holiday, why he blamed the police and how his cuts had impacted on the young people of Manchester.
Like you i could write loads on this. I do know that almost 30% of under 25 year olds have no job (and no chance of one) and worry that the slash and burn tactics of the coalition - cutting services from libraries to education - will result in more rioting.
Your analysis of the inequities of British life is superb (nearly said masterly). The UK is the only western European country to have the extremes of wealth and poverty and life expectancy that are more common in 3rd world countries; the USA of course is even worse. These contribute.
Maybe if we stopped fighting all these pointless wars (never mind getting involved in new ones) we could divert all that wasted money (on defence???) into building decent homes and public transport (for starters) - and create some jobs outside of call centre drones.
I hope the debate continues here - its important
hugs
Pauline xxxx
August 14, 2011 1:58 PM BST
The acts of the riots were more of a criminal nature than of a reason for change as far as I can see.
Maybe we should have the return of National Service, though for 5-years and not 3. And that the people put into it are actually taught a trade or profession and the encouragement to follow it to then become true citizens who have a purpose to the community and most importantly, to themselves.
Yes we should get out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and we should dump the whole Libyan/Gadaffi problem in the laps of the Arab League, and tell them he is one of theirs so deal with it, instead of costing tax payers here as well as putting our Aircrews lives at risk.
This so-called government needs to look at the British People and those who lawfully live here and help them to achieve their dreams and ideals instead of the politicians mouthing off to make themselves look good. But you can not expect a government that actually hates it's own people, (and this all started with Blair} to be bothered about us. After all as long as they are protected, the rest of us can go to hell and pick mint as far as the government are concerned.
Yes we need to look at the causes of the rioting as well as what to do to prevent it happening ever again, and to make sure all our vital services, i.e., the Police, Ambulance and Fire Services are not cut but given the fullest support from the government as they do from the people.
Also people have to stop blaming the Police in what appears to be a failure to intervene, when their hands are tied by legislation and rules that control their engagement.
Also, banging these people up will only serve to over-load the prison service as well as cost tax payers even more money, hence why I believe National Service should be brought back and these people put into the forces to learn a trade or profession, but it must be meaningful training and education and not just a number count exercise, as this and previous governments have endeavoured to do.
Now I know that many will jerk back at National Service, but as an ex member of the Armed Forces I fully believe that these youngsters will get a meaningful purpose in life as well as serving the British Public and their Country. For one of the problems we have in this Country is the lack of National Pride, not only in being British, but in being English, We Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish as well as Cornish people have no problem with being proud of our Nations and Heritage, but due to the do-gooders of England who want to cow tow to Europe and the like I feel that it is about time the English remembered their heritage and National Identity and started flying their Flag, The Cross of St. George, not the Union Flag. And from that pride will come their self pride and hopefully from that will come a learning by the government, which should lead to them investing in OUR People instead of jetting off and getting involved in wars and stuff that do not benefit anyone from this Country, this Sceptered Isle, except themselves!
Rachel
xxxx
August 14, 2011 1:59 PM BST
Hear Hear !! All you girls ! It is about the world we live in.
Read Read !! This intelligence !!
