RIOT!

[patiirc]

I love how people are so quick to blame the lib dems for everything in this and further afield, its like they can be bothered to look into whats causing the thing and come up with the collective they are new and hence evil argument for it all.

 

I still dont know why they come in for the shit they do. If they werent in coalition with the Tories they would have been with Labour because there wasnt enough votes on either side. Either way they would have to compromise their policies. Is that too straightforward for some mongs in the public at large?

 

People of Britain really really really dont know how a coalition works do they

[Loki]

I don't think the Lib Dems did "sell out the Nation" at all, in forming an alliance with the Conservatives both parties were forced to make compromises, that's how a coalition government works. Despite what everyone says about the Conservatives they're not doing anything that that Labour wouldn't have done if they'd won the election.

 

A lot of people just don't think about it in that much detail though, Vito. They don't think about the alternatives - a would a minority Tory government have been better for the country? How about a minority Lib/Lab coalition? Those were the other two options.

 

And once you're in a coalition, is it constructive to just vote against your partner all the time? No - you have to find compromise, middle ground policies you can both support. This means having to give up certain of your own policies, it's inevitable.

 

Now, I'm not saying they've made all the right decisions, but it's not selling out, its politics. We're just not used to coalitions in this country, unlike Europe where they are commonplace.

 

Personally I'll criticise individual policy decisions (going back on tuition fees being particularly stupid), but I can see the bind they're in. It's like being in a bad marriage, but sticking with it for the sake of the kids If you were really cynical, you could argue that as soon as they lost the voting reform referendum, they should have bailed out, but I suspect they thought people would shit on them even more for that.

[Vito]

I think people are just fed up with being led by the ear by politicians who don't live in the same world as they do, how can someone like Cameron understand what everyday life is like for a single mother living in a sink estate or a young man still living in his parents house because he can't afford to move out? I recently lost a job which paid a salary which is probably above average for someone of my age in this area and even when I was working I couldn't afford to live alone or even consider trying to buy a property, what is the government doing to help make property affordable for young people? I'm sharing a house with two other guys because it's all I can afford, none of us have pensions and I'm the only one with any kind of savings, what are we going to do when it's time to retire? That's what keeps me awake at night.

[Halitosis Romantic]

In riot news, there couldn't have been many fat or tall looters as High and Mighty are saying that their stores are ok.

 

They've always thought they're better than everyone.

[tiger_rick]

I'm not against a coalition government. I certainly felt that a Lib Dem/Tory love in was a better option than the Tories on their own. I just feel that they've lost their identity in all this. Clegg has stood up and supported Tory policies that prior to the election, he was dead against. the latest being this morning when he was justifying cutting Police funding. The same guy who predicted riots under a Tory government?

 

I think the local elections showed how unhappy Lib Dem voters are with them, they've sold their soul for power. How can a Liberal identify with the Conservative Lib Dems?

 

I know they are the lesser force in Government but the Conservatives still need them so it's not like they have no say in things.

[Loki]

Yeah, they've allowed themselves to be too subsumed into the Tories, and haven't highlighted their successes nearly enough. Clegg in particular made a mistake by getting too close to Cameron.

 

I do laugh when Tory voters blame the Lib Dems for what are clearly Tory policies being enacted though.

[The King Of Swing]

I love how people are so quick to blame the lib dems for everything in this and further afield

 

Good thing I (and I don't think anyone else in this thread) isn't doing that then isn't it?

[Halitosis Romantic]

Good thing I (and I don't think anyone else in this thread) isn't doing that then isn't it?

 

We know you isn't, but some people is.

[The King Of Swing]

Maybe I missed a post somewhere but I gaven't seen anyone outright blame the Dems for anything in this thread let alone everything.

[WildSybianRider]

Thats the problem Vito be it Lab, Lib or Con we get the same shit

 

 

I despise people who say this type of thing.

 

 

 

Obv 'sold out' is an unhelpful term, but the Lib Dems should have pulled out of the coalition when Cameron sabotaged the AV referendum. (Or preferably stopped him doing so in the first place, as was agreed.) Being the patsy for a load of Torycunt policies is one thing but getting arsefucked over their flagpole policy in exchange?

[The King Of Swing]

I despise people who say this type of thing.

 

Good for you

[patiirc]

Good thing I (and I don't think anyone else in this thread) isn't doing that then isn't it?

 

 

We know you isn't, but some people is.

 

 

Maybe I missed a post somewhere but I gaven't seen anyone outright blame the Dems for anything in this thread let alone everything.

 

 

Its more a generality based on the quite frankly fucking stupid fb and twitter and so on comments that are coming out of it

 

Basically all LD fault no blame for Labour or the Tories

 

Tbf I cant see that the cuts have actually taken effect anywhere yet, which is why im scratching my head a little as to why people are doom mongering when by and large they havent yet happened?

 

Im not saying im supporting them either, its just that we seemed to have been brainwashed to more security more CCTV etc and they still didnt stop things when it came to the crunch.. As I said before the illusion of security has been broken.. cutting or not cutting th police isnt going to matter a jot or a fig, irf people want to riot and its spontaneous and not from a pre planned demo where the police would be able to control or pen in then they cant do anything about it

 

If the rioters went out with 16k police on the street it still wouldnt be enough. The line has to be drawn somewhere and at the moment all i see is people calling for punitive measures to punish the rioters and not anyone ( in general not on here ) question why the fuck they did it in the first place, rather than crush now, wonder why it happens again later.. Tossers

[The King Of Swing]

It's a good thing that cuts haven't taken effect yet pat because I would take a guess that things could have been a whole lot worse otherwise, I don't care about party politics but anyone who still defends cuts to the police force is mental as far as I am concerned.

 

Like I posted the Government can suddenly find billions when it suits them.

[Magnum]

If the rioters went out with 16k police on the street it still wouldnt be enough. The line has to be drawn somewhere and at the moment all i see is people calling for punitive measures to punish the rioters and not anyone ( in general not on here ) question why the fuck they did it in the first place, rather than crush now, wonder why it happens again later.. Tossers

 

I'm of the opinion that, at least in the case of the copycat riots that spread throughout the country, a big part of the reason they 'did it in the first place' was the perception of an absence of consequence. For thick, criminally-inclined people, the images and overall narrative coming from the news coverage probably communicated the potential of significant material rewards versus very little risk of tangible punishment, be it physical or judicial. It also probably looked pretty exciting to those brought up with the bullshit macho rhetoric of gang culture.

 

In that respect, I think trying to reassert the message that crime has real consequences, not just for the victim but for the offender, is very much part of tackling the root causes of the problem, along with the more liberal community-based policies.

[JNLister]

It's amazing how many politicians/media commentators don't seem to realise there may be a difference in motivation between the people who started rioting/looting and the people who joined in.