We humans are different.
From many classes in Society many cultures and Education levels.
One mans racist is another freedom fighter.
Not one of us can say, with honesty , those people are different than me.
Some would be conservatives some Labor most would not care about politics or anything.
We know middle class took part, how did their back ground force them to criminal acts.
Given the right time and place most people do things they would not.
Remember the experiment that saw people thinking by pressing a button they gave great pain to people who got answers wrong.
No not poverty not hardship but crowd mentality * I want to be part of this *
Drove that crowd, being prepared and ready, to be part of the answer may be our only defense.
I do not want to get involved is cowardly.
Living in our free country should be defended not vigilantes but brave acts in the face of such.

Dear Belly,
Very succinctly put my friend, it is very easy to have views on why people behave as we have seen in the last week or so. Many things drive people to commit the crimes which have been done. We don't know for sure the causes of it all, I suspect there are more than a few factors.
But I have often said, to the harsh critics, we have to walk in their shoes to get some glimmer of reason for their actions; I don't condone crime such as destroying the houses and businesses of innocent people.
I know that the UK Government is carrying out mass cuts in spending. Maybe that has something to do with it all, who would know?
There are some areas in Britain where education is not important, or so it would seem. Love her or hate her, Julia Gillard has a real focus on Education, which cannot be a bad thing.
Cheers Belly,
NSB

Could it happeh here?

Yes, most certainly; it is already happening in slow-motion.

The local Video-Ezy had it's front window broken last night.
Looks just like the unburnt boarded up shops in London.

Vandalism is rife in the town and some local community groups have closed because of such vandalism.

Children of a certain ethnic group roam around during school hours but the school does nothing about it as the teachers are only too happy not to have them in class.

The police are disillusioned as every juvenile vandal that they round up is given a 'talking to' and is doing just the same thing tomorrow.

Personally, I think that a re-introduction of public floggings mightn't be a bad idea.
Cane on the bare arse in front of the Council Chambers at 11.00 AM Saturday mornings.

Is Mise:"The local Video-Ezy had it's front window broken last night."

Send in the tanks!

I have just re read every post in the thread.
I gain from that see things I missed track the lurches away from the threads intended track.
And you learn about posters.
NSB believe me Friend while not riots 20 or 30 took part, in all places Mascot,and the blood came every Friday night.
200 in another place came together, wasps Vs Fairfield one weekend, the fight was monstrous and I still do not know why.
Now this I know, from the first day in school kids flock together gang like?
Any weakness is taken advantage of, our kids are different when we are not looking.
In England the average Bobby has no gun .
But increasingly the kids do.
Asked in a modern world to police human bombs, terrorism, criminal gangs.
Remember in a street crowd in a gang, in any empty head, being seen as one of the crowd is the thing.
Unarmed police give these lard heads a chance to be tough knowing they can do it.
Most Bully's are exhibitionists, so are these grubs, yes it can/will happen here.

belly..bbc hardtalk had a discussion this morning on the topic
and the thing that stood out for me was we are all expert[in hindsight]

you will have noted the racists are having a field day
and those who hate social media too

we got the hit kids hard brigade that isnt silent[in hindsight]
but basiclly mate were all riding our own hobby horse

so we need get back to the basics
this was caused by ovef zealous police shooting a darkie
[who as it turns out may or maynot have fired a gun]

the police went into their spin
then in time it comes out 'the evidence'[a bullit in a police radio
turns out to be a police issue]..fired by a police gun

that made some upset
then oppertuinists did listen to their vile inner 'voices'..and the looting burning and blaming has be-gun..folowed by EVEN WORSE police brutality...[that gives the weak minded furher excuse to detst police FORCE [not a service..unless its serving vice..special adgenda's]

but lets egsamin your own words

""Any weakness is taken advantage of,"'
only by weak people[be they a weak police force
or a govt trying to avoid being sen as weak

""our kids are different when we are not looking.""

our police are different when no one watches them
[its readilly agred that one to 2%..of any group is able to be corrupt..take the recent egsample of the drug squad guy CAUGHT bringing in heaps of drugs precurser..who previously scammed 5 pounds of heroin...'lost' in a 'sting....]

entrapment mate
police policing policy
an ARMED response group..of gun toting COPS

""In England the average Bobby has no gun.""

mate i didnt see one 'bobby'
i saw thugs with badges..in dark satanic costume
playing their parts...ie a policing FORCE..

""But increasingly the kids do.""

mate back to topic
i AUSTRALIA..most kids got knives
not guns..and even then its likely only a fake/gun

EVEN then its only very few kids..

but if coppers think..*EVERY KID
we will see the rioters..in the streets
[with knives..or hammers..or shovals or rocks..

or drums..or flags...or voices]