Tottenham Riots

[misseoccultstar]

But the rioters aren't getting 10 year sentences. Many of the sentences for burglary or handling stolen goods have been less than 18 months. How can you get 4 years for a Facebook post and 18 months or less for looting?

If 4 years is a just sentence for incitement, then the acts themselves need to be at least that long.

 

[muzsgirl]

It is on the same principle as receiving stolen goods carrying a stiffer sentence than the actual theft

 

[Rachele]

That isn't a just principle.

 

[lithiumdeuteride]

The concept behind it, in theory, is that causing it to happen or compelling is worse than actually doing it.

I believe it was originally conceived to catch the "mastermind" types who could otherwise avoid prosecution because they did not take part - pretty much how they took down Manson in the US in fact

Just? debatable, but I do believe necessary

 

[carmelaecruz89]

It's not four years for a few Facebook posts. It's four years for trying to incite a riot. They just happened to use Facebook. Although I'd say they could have been let off with a caution since they were total failures at it and nothing happened.

 

[FEVERttt]

It's four years for idiocy. These weren't criminal masterminds or gang leaders organising crime. They were morons who thought it would be a laugh. They want punishing, but 4 years is excessive. A year, 18 months would be more than enough to ensure that they will never do something like that again.

 

[casapulla2001]

I never even attempted to make that argument dude. Just a few post before that one I rubbished that Miliband guys nonsense about the reasons for the riots being "complex". Frankly if he thinks it's "complex", he has no business leading the Labour party. And as for Nick Clegg. Where the hell was he when Cameron was on holiday? Why did he have to wait until Cameron came back before he made an appearance? Now all of a sudden he's all tough talking and condemning the rioters. It's sickening.

The political leadership of our country is in a sad state of affairs. All of our current leaders are sad, pathetic, opportunistic, scheming cowards surrounded by suck-ups and yes men.

Yes the riots would have taken place anyway. I never said the wouldn't. I said Cameron's attempt to use them for political points scoring and rushing through bad legislation was sickening. And it is sickening. There's even been talk of shutting down social networks during riots. Are they going to shut down the phone networks too and rename the UK as Syria? How about China or Lybia?

We're currently engaged in a military campaign against a nutter who feared his peoples ability to talk freely. If they seriously try to introduce legislation that lets social networks be shut down when they're an inconvenience to the government then every service man and woman should resign. Because frankly they're fighting for nothing.

 

[LeeT]

I'd say tagging and community service would do the trick.

 

[Rea]

Perhaps more importantly... wtf is up with the mayors hair. It's like a q-tip with a bad hairpiece on methamphetamines. The footage of him speaking to the public just after the riots was a total laugh. He had no clue.... mouthpiece. Full stop.

Is this a job he got because his father and his grandfather and so on and so forth held it. An entitlement of sorts?

 

[KristaW]

He got the job because he amuses us. Back when he was a backbench MP he was a regular on comedy current affair panel shows.

 

[squirrellymom2]

in that case it might just be what the doctor ordered. laugh to keep from cryin' and all that.

 

[nakita736]

I do love Boris. Being funny probably has got a lot to do with it but he doesn't seem a terrible mayor either. He seems happy to speak against party policy and I'll respect him just for that.

On another note, any further news on this wonderful eviction idea Cameron wanted councils to take up? My google-fu is weak this morning

 

[hippl]

The eviction Idea is going to land council tax payers and HA residents with a huge bill if the managements are not careful. It's about unenforceable and illegal housing clauses being extended.

The main one is a woman being evicted because her grown up son was charged with being involved, though he is not convicted yet. Her clause refers to the immediate area and he was arrested miles away in a different district.

 

[mufasa42]

It did seem like a stupid idea evicting whole families over one person and then not expecting them to carry on commiting crime. Didn't know he hadn't been convicted though, that's pretty worrying.

 

[ChrissieK]

This reminds me on the surface to the way that properties are seized in the US when they are related to narcotics busts. Though I'm sure it's not entirely the same set of circumstances it did bring it to mind.

 

[detroit11011]

How Boris Johnson became mayor is one of the great mysteries of the universe. Fermat's last theorum ain't got nothing on it.

 

[TWhite]

Thing is, Boris is a smart guy... If you listen to him speak, the content rather than the plumy accent (or watching the stupid hair), it's actually good stuff. His written material ain't bad either.

And I'm pretty sure it's more than luck that he could be a running politician whilst being on comedy shows and have a political career that can survive affairs and gaffes that would sink the average political career five times over.

I am therefore terrified of Boris. I suspect he is a savantic political genius and everything he's done will turn out to be a beautiful master plan .

More seriously he seems to do a fair job on the organisational side of things

 

[xxMoonlightxShadowxxe]

I think his trick (well, probably not a trick) with the Royal Wedding shows his political mastery quite nicely. David Cameron wasn't going to wear a dinner jacket to the wedding, but a normal suit, to show unity with the plebs. Boris declared that he would be wearing a dinner jacket, because it was a royal wedding and there are occasions when it's appropriate.

On the day itself Cameron relented and wore his own dinner jacket, a nice designer one that he owned.

Boris also wore a dinner jacket - rented from Moss Bros for the occasion.

Maybe an apocryphal story, but if not it shows something.

 

[jnayoub1206]

I dont think I said that...and if I did, I need to see a memory doctor.