London riots... A Vancouver echo?

[J Kendrick]

After the third straight night of riots in the UK... which have now spread beyond London to Birmingham and Liverpool...

It's now looking to be more of an excuse to go out looting than it is a mass protest against the recent actions of London Police, with century-old furniture stores now being set ablaze by young hooded thieves just looking to grab a free telly or two...

Which now raises a question: Might the riots now happening in the UK actually be an echo of what happened here in Vancouver two months ago? Are the hooded mobs in London, in reality, little more than copycats?

Taking into account the world-wide impact and spread of today's internet and social media...

Is it at all possible that this week's rioters in the UK have, in fact, picked up the idea from watching all of that internet coverage of the vandalism and looting that happened right here in Vancouver on the night of June 15th?

[Tape Splicer]

I was listening to the BBC World service last evening. A BBC reporters was saying that he saw some of the hooded rioters running out of an area and getting into their high priced sports cars and driving away from the area he was in. He speculated that the cars were conveniently parked and ready to be used for hauling away their loot. But to your question about being a copy cat event; it could be when one considers how easy it is to communicate. I can watch SKY NEWS and other international news outlets on my computer, not to mention Facebook, twitter and skype.

[Paul P]

What a stupid premise. Of course the London riots are not a Vancouver 'echo'. That would be like saying the Vancouver riot, which lasted about 5 hours, compared to the numerous nights in London, was an echo of the Seattle riot years ago.
Thugs will be thugs wherever.
What's going on in London, while certainly a bunch of thuggery, has its roots in racial tensions in that city.

[J Kendrick]

What's going on in London, while certainly a bunch of thuggery, has its roots in racial tensions in that city.

Originally, yes... but...

Now it appears to have degraded into little more than an excuse for a fourth night of outright looting... encouraged, once again, by people passing the word on by social networking on cell phones...

... a phenomenon that did not exist in the case of earlier riots like those in Seattle and L.A.

[CKNF]

Is it at all possible that this week's rioters in the UK have, in fact, picked up the idea from watching all of that internet coverage of the vandalism and looting that happened right here in Vancouver on the night of June 15th?

Possible? Anything's possible.
Likely? No.

[Tape Splicer]

Should you wish to view SKY News channel on you pc to follow what is happening in the UK, go to wwitv/news and look for "SKY NEWS Channel" click on the line...a new window will open... activate the link and view sky news live feed.

[hagopian]

Thugs are thugs.

What worries me is that Greeks, Spanish, Italian and other European unemployed clowns will start up.

The anarchist movement thrives in down times.
The market gyrations and long seated unemployment are seeds for Revolution.

There are many terrified Central Bankers today - worried about Bank runs and worse.

Euro sector Country bonds fared poorly in recent sales.

Times are getting tricky - and yet here in bong land a lot of nitwits think we are immune to the world market gyrations.

Not a chance.

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Hagopian has here, on numerous occasions, been accused, rightfully or not, of chronic negativity and nay-saying but I have noted he has never been wrong, not even once, on any of his financial, economical or social predictions thus far; right down to making the call on how the Canucks would take us emotionally to the brink of victory only to "choke" spectacularly.
I'd pay attention to his opinions myself.
As to comparing the current crop of very violent and dangerous British yobs to the spoiled, over-privileged white kids who play-rioted here, well...you have no idea.
That's like comparing your pet purse-dog peeing on the carpet and nipping your finger to being attacked by a pack of wild honey badgers.

[Tape Splicer]

While watching SKY NEWS, a reporter was interviewing three or four young fellows.. asking "why are you here when orders were given to leave the city center? The response was: "We have no way to get out of town". One young man with a hood, sun glasses and a shirt over his face said he was there to "Piss off the cops...To pay back the cops... " He also said "i am not a law abiding person." very sad.

[hagopian]

Thanks to NS, for vote of confidence. I wish I could scream happy when it comes to media, and the economy that feeds it, but, it ain't the way it's playing.
No way anyone will talk about this - but the Banks have a ton of paper off books - the US Fed is going to start QE3 in earnest, and inflation is gonna be 1970's style.
Watch out for France. If their paper is downgraded from AAA, well, Mr. Sennheiser, it will be one heck of a mess.
Fascinating, and terrifying.
Like working for Jim Pattison.