The fact that the right has appropriated the language of morality has led many on the left to ignore moral arguments, indeed often to see such arguments as reactionary. That is a fatal mistake. Morality is as important to the left as it is to the right, though for very different reasons. There is no possibility of a political or economic vision of a different society without a moral vision too. Moral arguments lie at the heart of our understanding of social solidarity, and of the distinction between notions of social solidarity and pious rightwing claims of ‘we’re all in it together’. And that is why it also has to be at the heart of our understanding of the riots.
As a result, morality has come to be seen not as difficult choices that one has to wrestle with, or as norms that one works through within a collective setting, but as a set of predetermined rules provided as a state hand-out. Morality has ceased to be ours.
Because the right has appropriated the arguments about moral failure, many on the left have rejected moral arguments altogether. The left talks much about the social and economic impact of neo-liberal policies. But little about its moral impact. Such willful blindness is dangerous. The questions about economic and social poverty, about unemployment and the cuts, are closely related to the questions about moral poverty, about the breakdown of social solidarity and the rise of a nihilistic culture. There can be no challenge to mass unemployment and the imposition of austerity without the restoration of bonds of social solidarity. We cannot, in other words, cannot confront economic poverty if we do not also confront moral poverty. We need to remake our own language of morality, reforge our own moral norms.
I think he's a known journalist but still. Story here about a bloke on the same demo who wasn't so lucky.the dude filming that had some balls
Very interesting and thoughtful piece from Kenan Malik: Moral Poverty and the Riots
(my emphasis)There is clearly more to the riots than simple random hooliganism. But that does not mean that the riots, as many have claimed, are protests against disenfranchisement, social exclusion and wasted lives. In fact, it’s precisely because of disenfranchisement, social exclusion and wasted lives that these are not ‘protests’ in any way, but a mixture of incoherent rage, gang thuggery and teenage mayhem.
If we are lucky, we will have commissions and reports to say all over again what was said of Brixton and Toxteth in the Thatcher years. I say ‘lucky’ because the feral instincts of the current Prime Minister seem more attuned to turn on the water cannons, to call in the tear gas brigade and use the rubber bullets while pontificating unctuously about the loss of moral compass, the decline of civility and the sad deterioration of family values and discipline among errant youths.
But the problem is that we live in a society where capitalism itself has become rampantly feral. Feral politicians cheat on their expenses, feral bankers plunder the public purse for all its worth, CEOs, hedge fund operators and private equity geniuses loot the world of wealth, telephone and credit card companies load mysterious charges on everyone’s bills, shopkeepers price gouge, and, at the drop of a hat swindlers and scam artists get to practice three-card monte right up into the highest echelons of the corporate and political world.
A political economy of mass dispossession, of predatory practices to the point of daylight robbery, particularly of the poor and the vulnerable, the unsophisticated and the legally unprotected, has become the order of the day. Does anyone believe it is possible to find an honest capitalist, an honest banker, an honest politician, an honest shopkeeper or an honest police commisioner any more? Yes, they do exist. But only as a minority that everyone else regards as stupid. Get smart. Get Easy Profits. Defraud and steal! The odds of getting caught are low. And in any case there are plenty of ways to shield personal wealth from the costs of corporate malfeasance.
What I say may sound shocking. Most of us don’t see it because we don’t want to. Certainly no politician dare say it and the press would only print it to heap scorn upon the sayer. But my guess is that every street rioter knows exactly what I mean. They are only doing what everyone else is doing, though in a different way – more blatently and visibly in the streets. Thatcherism unchained the feral instincts of capitalism (the “animal spirits” of the entreprenuer they coyly named it) and nothing has transpired to curb them since. Slash and burn is now openly the motto of the ruling classes pretty much everywhere.
This is the new normal in which we live. This is what the next grand commission of enquiry should address. Everyone, not just the rioters, should be held to account. Feral capitalism should be put on trial for crimes against humanity as well as for crimes against nature.
Sadly, this is what these mindless rioters cannot see or demand. Everything conspires to prevent us from seeing and demanding it also. This is why political power so hastily dons the robes of superior morality and unctuous reason so that no one might see it as so nakedly corrupt and stupidly irrational.
I don't believe british cops can do brutality. They may think they're brutal but they're not really. Goto Brazil to see Police brutality. They have it down to a tee. These rioters thought they looked so cool and radical as they rushed back home with their microwaves and HD Ready TV's tucked under their arms, just to watch themselves on the BBC. They must now look pathetic as they await the dreaded knock on their door. Shaking and sweating as they cower under their duvet. Alcohol has worn off now. Things don't seem as rosy as the night before.
and your opinion on this is vacuousNo your the mug. Just cause it's my first post don't think i'm subservient to you. Your posts or reputation on this board mean nothing to me.
I expressed an opinion. This is what this board is about. Opinions. Discussion. Mug.
don't know if it was quite 2000 - but not bad. usual strange hackney mix2000 on unity march in Tottenham
I'm not sure I agree. I've net read anything that's convinced me that addiction doesn't have a significant biological component i.e. that one can inherit a predisposition to substance addiction. If you've got that, it doesn't matter whether you're from a deprived background or a "good" one, you're subject to the same forces.
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September 24th 1826
Brutality is relative. Cops the world over do what their respective national laws let them get away with. I've seen fingers deliberately broken by our lovely coppers, I've seen faces pummelled and an elbow shattered and excused by the mantra of "he resisted arrest". I've seen and experienced horses being used to compress a group of people into a smaller and smaller space, until breathing was impossible.
Con-Dems to blame for anger of youth - Mass, trade union-led response needed
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/12534
"An onlooker to the riots in Hackney was quoted in the Times as noting: "Unfortunately this is about as empowered as many of these lads have ever felt in their lives and ever will feel".
Half the things I say on here are a joke, including the above. Why, were you concerned for me?!I sincerely hope this is a joke.
It's hard for me to explain myself clearly on here, especially a heated thread like this. Little snippets of my original post get a lot of attention then 10 pages later we are a million miles away from the point I was trying to make. I have made errors, like not taking into account white collar crime when saying most people who commit crime will come from a poor background (I still think that is correct, but not as correct as I had originally made out) and I hold my hands up to that now. I see from the above that I still haven't managed to explain what exactly I mean so I shall try again to simplify it having had a bit of time to think the best way how, but first a few points just so you know where I stand on some issues...I realise you are giving your opinions. What links do you want exactly, whislt I recognise your reluctance to take other people's word for it, you have been pointed in the right direction in terms of research you could do yourself which would inform you better.
...and this is where I think you are crossing wires. A 'deprived' background, how do you characterise that? Can you share your proof with me?
Also, it seems that you are linking 'deprived' with being stopped and searched, that tells me that you are not fully understanding that disproportionate police harrassment does not equal poverty, it equals racism when it is done on the basis of someone's skin colour.
Given that Black people/ethnic minorities are still that, minorities, in this country, I am a bit concerned that you are not acknowledging the existance of a significant number of White people who live in so called 'deprived' areas and 'deprivation'.
I'm just saying that police concentrate their resources in certain areas, so in this respect, they are the ones that decide what a high crime area is (ie which area they want to concentrate on)What's a "high-crime area" though? You seem to think the total number of crimes/perpetrators is more important than the total impact of the crimes. That may be so, but it definitely doesn't go without saying ...
Heh if we were deciding on what high crime areas were then I'd be right behind you on that one! But hopefully the above explains what I mean?In terms of amount of money stolen and overall misery and suffering generated, it's by no means impossible that 'high crime area' would mean the City of London above all.
No worries. I'm not really saying this is how things should be, rather, this is how I think things areETA this is kind of why I got a bit snippy with you the other day, for which I apologise.
I'm just saying that police concentrate their resources in certain areas, so in this respect, they are the ones that decide what a high crime area is (ie which area they want to concentrate on)
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Blimey! Impassioned and enthralling speech, I wish I could speak like him!Poetry.