Iran, for example, has called on the British police and authorities to exercise self-restraint when dealing with the troublemakers. If the Iranian authorities were following their own advice during the various disturbances, one shudders to think what it would all have been like if they had not exercised restraint.
The Russians are advising the British to get tough with the various ethnic youths who do not wish to be part of British life. One cannot help feeling that they are confusing several different recent episodes. (No separate link, so need to scroll down on the BBC page.)
The Chinese fear for the Olympics (nothing like this would have happened in Beijing) and opine that the British police face two problems: cuts in funds and loss of credibility after the phone-hacking scandal. Again, a similar situation would not have arisen in China. Phone-hacking is completely authorized and done by the authorities only. Credibility cannot be lost.
Dear Helen,
ReplyDeleteOur thoughts and prayers are with you over there. We hope you can corral these criminals soon and get back to normal. We have been seeing flash mobs here in Philidelphia and Wisconson. I blame the educational system as well as the breakdown of personal responsibility in our societies.
Natalie
Thanks, Natalie. Things seem to be quieting down but there are some parts of London and other cities, mostly the relatively poor parts, that have been trashed and looted to the point where people are asking whether it is worth starting their business again. Some will, of course, and local people have turned out to help with the clearing up.
ReplyDeleteI have read about the flash mobs. I hope that, too, will be contained soon. We can blame the same two factors here. The inquiries will begin. We need to have a good look at the top echelon in the police who, clearly, gave orders to those on the ground for three nights to stand back and do nothing. It could all have been contained in Tottenham on the first night.