The Corner

When You Lose the Guardian . . .

Even the Guardian has abandoned the rioters:

Word up, kids – smashing up your neighbour’s business or setting fire to someone’s home is pure criminality. As is throwing bricks at the police. It is not OK. Yet opportunism – the thrill of being part of the crowd – is, I believe, why and how most young people have got involved.

How do I know this? The riots have sprung up in seemingly random places and certain brands have been targeted. Young people have been looting the shops they like: JD Sports and mobile phone shops have been hit, yet Waterstone’s has been left alone. These young people like trainers and iPhones; they are less interested in books. This is criminality in a raw form, not politics. And rioters with a political message would, in any case, have been jeered by the baying crowds in their newest Adidas attire.

The rest here.

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