Contrast: USA Vs. UK - Outrage over police violence.

[Your Funny Uncle]

Apologies. I was on my way out of work and only skimmed the BBC article. The point was that social networks sped up/amplified both the good and the bad aspects of society. I think that's what social networks do in general...

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

In the endgame -
is there any better way for the London Police to have handled the situation?
In another chatroom I frequent, people seemed appauled that I had mentioned tazers and rubber bullets, or 24-hour martial law. Then I was called a stupid American and was basically shoved out of the conversation.

Please tell me that there's an actual reason for this - the only thing I got from it was that Londoners are pussies when it comes to Law enforcement.

I know London is a LARGE city, but still - 24 hours of military sitting on the corner and a strict curfew would have kept (as Austra noted) the kids who wanted excuses to steal televisions, set fire to things, and break shit for the lulz off the street. Then you're left with either the hardcore yuppies which should now be dispatched with a few rubber rounds and a few hundred handcuffs.

 

[nasher168]

I would definitely draw the line at the use of tasers, and I would be very uneasy at the idea of enforcing martial law. Tasers, in my opinion, should only be used when there is clear and immediate risk to the officer carrying the weapon.

Low-velocity rubber bullets would be okay in my view, though, as would water cannons. Just enough to leave a very nasty bruise and drive rioters back.

Bear in mind that this wasn't anything like the Los Angeles riots. Only five people have died and only 16 civilians have been reported injured (although 186 police have been injured). More people are killed every day in the UK in road accidents. Bringing in the army to deal with it would have been a highly disproportionate response and would set a distasteful precedent for use of the armed forces in cases of unrest.

Please tell me that there's an actual reason for this - the only thing I got from it was that Londoners are pussies when it comes to Law enforcement.

Compared to America, the UK justice system is a lot less heavy-handed. Our police officers don't carry guns except in very rare circumstances, and the barbaric, inhumane use of tasers such as that seen in this video at 3:40 (try to ignore the awful attempts at humour by the narrator) would be cause for a public outcry.
But then, about 1% of your adult population in the US is in prison-an appallingly high figure. So either the crime prevention the least effective in the world (no wonder really, when so many prisons make use of convict labour-slave labour by any other name IMO-rather than focussing on rehabilitation), or the legal system there is far, far too prison-orientated.

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

I would definitely draw the line at the use of tasers, and I would be very uneasy at the idea of enforcing martial law. Tasers, in my opinion, should only be used when there is clear and immediate risk to the officer carrying the weapon.

Low-velocity rubber bullets would be okay in my view, though, as would water cannons. Just enough to leave a very nasty bruise and drive rioters back.

Bear in mind that this wasn't anything like the Los Angeles riots. Only five people have died and only 16 civilians have been reported injured (although 186 police have been injured). More people are killed every day in the UK in road accidents. Bringing in the army to deal with it would have been a highly disproportionate response and would set a distasteful precedent for use of the armed forces in cases of unrest.

Please tell me that there's an actual reason for this - the only thing I got from it was that Londoners are pussies when it comes to Law enforcement.

Compared to America, the UK justice system is a lot less heavy-handed. Our police officers don't carry guns except in very rare circumstances, and the barbaric, inhumane use of tasers such as that seen in this video at 3:40 (try to ignore the awful attempts at humour by the narrator) would be cause for a public outcry.
But then, about 1% of your adult population in the US is in prison-an appallingly high figure. So either the crime prevention the least effective in the world (no wonder really, when so many prisons make use of convict labour-slave labour by any other name IMO-rather than focussing on rehabilitation), or the legal system there is far, far too prison-orientated.

I blame the War on Drugs for that high count, but I suppose that you do have a point.

And you could have used a billion other lolz excuses for the Tazer gun.
[showmore=Tazing Bros][/showmore]