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Ear to the Ground

Naomi Klein on Riots and Resistance

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Posted on Aug 16, 2011
how will i ever (CC-BY-SA)

Britain’s riots were not political, we are assured, and looting is simply un-British, but “Shock Doctrine” author Naomi Klein takes a different view: From Iraq to Argentina, when corrupt elites pass the bill to the struggling masses, civil unrest is to be expected.

In the U.K., bank bailouts + austerity package = one pissed-off lower class.  —PZS

Naomi Klein in The Nation:

But England is not Latin America, and its riots are not political, or so we keep hearing. They are just about lawless kids taking advantage of a situation to take what isn’t theirs. And British society, Cameron tells us, abhors that kind of behavior.

This is said in all seriousness. As if the massive bank bailouts never happened, followed by the defiant record bonuses. Followed by the emergency G-8 and G-20 meetings, when the leaders decided, collectively, not to do anything to punish the bankers for any of this, nor to do anything serious to prevent a similar crisis from happening again. Instead they would all go home to their respective countries and force sacrifices on the most vulnerable. They would do this by firing public sector workers, scapegoating teachers, closing libraries, upping tuitions, rolling back union contracts, creating rush privatizations of public assets and decreasing pensions – mix the cocktail for where you live. And who is on television lecturing about the need to give up these “entitlements”? The bankers and hedge-fund managers, of course.

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Gabriel's avatar

By Gabriel, August 18, 2011 at 10:32 pm Link to this comment

Naomi is right up to a point. She fails to mention the rest of the story as most Jews will. Most of the time for fear of Israel Lobby and their assassination squads, whether verbal or literal.

A thread of Merchant Jews, who oppress even their own kin, is linked directly to Jerusalem 2,000 yrs ago, and much further back. Those merchants have been the problem of all problems till today. Remember the Kennedys, Gandhi and anyone else that stood in their way of global domination?

Whole British monarchy and their system are part of it. They are actually German and Roman Jews by bloodlines. In conjunction with Templars they have systematically taken over most of Earth.

They have done this by conquest, religion, treaties - which they don’t honor, corporate printed money, interest/usury, theft and every disgusting way imaginable.

It’s mainly the Natives of each area that are rising up against such oppression and genocide ... In conjunction with working class being abused and ripped off by same Merchant bloodlines.

Those immigrants who fled to Americas thought they could start new, but were taken over by British and other Monarchies via fiat money system, War, assassination [Abraham Lincoln etc.], threats, tricks and any means possible. It’s all there in their own documents.

Now Merchants don’t have many places left to rape, pillage, steal or destroy so they made up a War against the working class, prepared themselves with lots of guns, bio-agents, nukes, prisons etc. and dummies [cops and military] to use/abuse them.

What the dummies don’t realize is they are on the chopping block as well, as the Merchants plan to wipe out 99% of men and women and life on Earth. About 1/2 of cops and military that I have spoken with know this and are getting prepared. Actually have been for last 50 plus yrs.

When a predatory system starts feeding upon it’s self it’s bound to implode. Since Banks / Merchants are doing this now get ready for something drastic, very drastic. As it’s happening all over Earth this is going to be a full global meltdown.

All services you have paid for are going to be shut down as Banks / Merchants won’t pay taxes or their share. As you can see most countries are bankrupt and feeding off people’s property, savings, labour, and anything else they can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqhHh06tE-Y&playnext=1&list=PL6FA0A2B3F743F1E1  -Slavery by Consent-

Prepare like you have never prepared before. Prepare for full world collapse.
- Minimum of 5 yrs of food and basic supplies, all kinds of supplies
- create close knit communities
- lots of guns and ammunition, did I say lots and lots of ammo too
- help each other to prepare by spreading knowledge, knowledge for your kids and their kids as well
- make caches in well hidden spots
- add hidden exits to your houses, even long tunnels
- learn how to survive off the land and in any circumstances
- learn to live without luxuries because you won’t be able to hit the supermarket or local corner store
- grow your own food and learn how to preserve it for tough times
- learn your rights as a Free Sovereign Individual, and so you may pass them on to your children, and don’t let anyone stomp on them. You must literally guard them with your life.

Note: the bible is not going to save you. It will most likely get you killed as it’s the tool Monarchy used to make you “voluntary slaves” in the first place. You actually have to wake up and prepare.

Special note for Women: If you think you’re going to be peace makers then you tell me how to stop a .50 cal bullet and not get torn apart to shreds.
Or stop military idiots from spreading deadly poisons and diseases
Or worse ... exploding nukes.

End Result: European Monarchy / Oligarchy and their Merchants will fall ... it’s up to you and everyone at what price.

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By Cointelpro, August 17, 2011 at 6:02 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Inorder to stop the police and their alikes from commiting all the injustices,harassment and murders,I believe the riot was necessary and long over due!
  Sometimes that’s the only way “the voiceless” can be heard !

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By Bat Guano, August 17, 2011 at 3:16 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

“when corrupt elites pass the bill to the struggling masses, civil unrest is to be expected.”

Coming soon to the US. Like it or not. The cake has been baked and is ready to come out of the oven.

Bon appetit Amerika.

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By thethirdman, August 17, 2011 at 2:27 pm Link to this comment

Let’s not forget.  Sometimes it’s just fun to mess shit up.  This is doubly when you
live in a culture that has no real consequences for bad behaviour.

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By question, August 17, 2011 at 1:56 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Too bad I personally think Klein is an overblown phenomenon with a huge ego & a superiority complex, because sometimes her writing is accurate & worthwhile.

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oddsox's avatar

By oddsox, August 17, 2011 at 10:58 am Link to this comment

“...(the London riots) are just about lawless kids taking advantage of a situation to take what isn’t theirs.”

Klein’s being facetious, of course, but she’s right. 

And as long as those who think like her provide cover for these young thugs with political excuses, we can expect more of the same.

The great irony of all this? 
A REAL “Global Saqueo” places all these young Londoners on the side of the “Haves.”
The real Have Nots are in places like Zimbabwe, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, Camaroon, Bangledesh, Kenya—how many others can you name?

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By Stella Marrs, August 17, 2011 at 10:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Did we forget soo soon that a man was murdered?

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Arabian Sinbad's avatar

By Arabian Sinbad, August 17, 2011 at 1:05 am Link to this comment

Riots are necessary preludes for corrective revolutions. The London riots are long overdue, and if the laws of cause and effect are not brutally suppressed by the police state, then from the ashes of the burned symbols of injustices will emerge the spirit of revolution that should bring about the corrective measures against political, social and military injustices.

I am wondering when the sheepish populations of the United States are going to rise in initiating a corrective movement of their very miserable situation! If you want to make an omelet, it is always necessary to break some eggs!

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By Global SoulJah, August 16, 2011 at 11:32 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I would love to say that the riots had their roots in anti-systemic protest but the
perpetrators are the least caring, thinking strata of English society and would
laugh at you if you mentioned the cause of the riots as such. To them is was more
about ‘doing the police’, ‘having a laugh’ and ‘grabbing gear’, they have more in
common with Droogs than Gandhi. This is from someone who worked in these
communities for several years.

If you want a more meaningful movement focus on UK Uncut or the Spanish
indignants.

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By Michael Cavlan RN, August 16, 2011 at 8:53 pm Link to this comment

Dear God

What utter twaddle, to put a British twist on it.

In northern Ireland riots are quite common. In fact they still are to this day. The term that Irish Republicans have used and still do is that riots are the language of the unheard.

As for the financial district, well I seem to remember that while there never has been riots there, that the IRA once put a bloody great bomb there. Which caused massive amounts of damage and financial costs to the British ruling elites.

In fact, they way I hear it the dissident Irish Republicans like thew Real IRA and Continuity IRA have bombed banks and put the banking elite on notice that they are targets too.

Pip Pip, Cheerio and all that.

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THX 1133's avatar

By THX 1133, August 16, 2011 at 8:11 pm Link to this comment

Look! What’s that on the horizon?
It’s Orwell’s 1984 coming right at us at light speed.

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prisnersdilema's avatar

By prisnersdilema, August 16, 2011 at 7:14 pm Link to this comment

The riots are just beginning, as is the attempt at repressing them.  As time goes on more
and more people will be jailed. That’s what fascists do. Still as Thomas Paine said so
many years ago, Repression is the seed of revolution.

It will come, it may be delayed a bit here and there, but the ruling corporations are
bankrupt, and in the end, that bankruptcy will be all to obvious when the PRC, begins
taking what they want.

What then, start up a press gang?

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By lasmog, August 16, 2011 at 4:09 pm Link to this comment

Unfortunately, riots never seem to be held in the financial districts where they belong.

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By Morri Creech, August 16, 2011 at 1:39 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It should perhaps come as no surprise that, amidst the host of banking, media, and political corruption scandals over the last several years, marginalized populations who feel either ignored or actively harmed by esteemed institutions in the name of profits, cynical sensationalism, and fiscal austerity have begun to behave badly. When those in power demonstrate flagrant disregard for the rule of law, others may be inclined to do so as well; in fact it is axiomatic that the ruled will emulate the behaviors of the ruling classes, who as legislators, businesspeople, or intellectuals have traditionally modeled acceptable behavior. One cannot expect the governed to show restraint on behavior that the powerful cannot reasonably impose upon themselves. I find popular riots and violent unrest every bit as disturbing as the general, profound decline in ethics and morality among the cultural elite.

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