Europe ablaze: riots scorch six nations

European unrest has exploded back onto the front page. In what seems like an uglier (or perhaps "more vigorous," depending on your perspective...) replay of the rumblings that hit the continent a few months ago, rioting and other forms of civil unrest are again on the upswing.

In recent days we have witnessed riots in England, Ireland, France, Italy, Russia, Germany, Belgium, and Spain, with particular unrest in Greece. Below are a few of the dozens of stories rolling off the presses:

Analysis: Europe faces rising austerity protests in 2011

Who’s Up For More European Riots?

Violence erupts in Greece over European debt crisis

Euro financial doom from Zero Hedge

Roubini forecasts more eurozone revolts, riots and strikes


God bless, Europe. Hold on tight and take care of yourself...

reply to post by silent thunder


I think it's great..
People are finally waking up to what's been going on for decades..
The people have been systematically screwed by their Governments for the benifit of the few..

thanx from the uk we need all the support we can get and god bless you my friend.

The people of Europe are uniting in a way the governments never managed to create unity. It's spreading and it's catching on. Imo, the main thing is to keep the focus on the banks.

reply to post by silent thunder


Europe is a TRAIN WRECK waiting to happen.

The banksters and the politicans have pushed the people tooooooooo far and now it's time for the people to voice their opinions.

Watch for coming elections in any of the EU countries, there's going to be a lot of politicans who will be looking for jobs.............F'M I say

The title is a bit dramatic, isn't it?

Europe ablaze? Hardly...

A few riots and protests (usually organised by left-wing socialist groups with vested interests) dotted around a continent of over 500 million people is hardly "Europe ablaze"....

For example, the recent Tuition fees protests in the UK are led by left-wing groups who think they are entitled to a free ride, funded by the state.

In reality, £9,000 a year for a top class University education in the UK (when foreign students pay many times more than that) is good value, you don't pay the money up front and only pay it back when you earn a decent wage, and even then it's small repayments over 20 odd years! You can still get the damn thing virtually free if you take a proper degree like Science or Engineering, instead of Mickey Mouse degrees like Art in Tibetan Temples or the History of Bread.

Maybe some of these "protestors" should go to the US where are similiar education would set them back up too £100,000 or more!

As you can tell, I have little time or sympathy for people protesting that their free-ride is over. That is basically what each and every one of these protests has been about all over the EU, overpaid Government employees who do little work and getting a final salary pension realising the game is up and Students who are used to the State providing getting upset they might actually have to to Study a worthwhile degree and do some work, instead of getting pissed for 3 years and then getting a 2.1 in Leisure Industry Management......

reply to post by backinblack

I think it's great..

Condoning rioting?. well well

People need to get a grip and remember what the world was like before the internet and 24-hour news stations.

Protesting and rioting occurred at the drop of a hat in continental Europe before the advent of up-to-the-second news media.

Protests and rioting are, and were, commonplace in Europe, it's just that nowadays it seems worse because we can monitor any minor eruption in 'real-time'.


For example, there was a big international story made out of rioting in Rome the other day, which left 50 police officers injured.

Here in the UK, circa 2001, there were a string of disturbances in the Northern Irish city of Portadown that left similar figures of police officers injured during one night of rioting.

The difference between 50 police officers being injured in NI and 50 police officers injured in Rome ?

The answer is the pervasiveness of news media, and agenda driven bias in the interpretation of the potential impact of the riots.

Northern Ireland didn't collapse after a few nights of rioting in the early 2000s, just as Europe won't collapse after a few half-arsed riots in 2010.

Some of you need to avoid letting wishful-thinking get the better of an objective, analytical appraisal of the significance of these events.

Originally posted by phatpackage
reply to post by backinblack

 

I think it's great..

Condoning rioting?. well well

No mate..Codoning the voice of the people..

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty........Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

We have seen what peaceful protest does......Nothing..!!!!!

reply to post by backinblack

No mate..Codoning the voice of the people..

OK it just sounded that way.

Originally posted by backinblack

Originally posted by phatpackage
reply to post by backinblack

 

I think it's great..

Condoning rioting?. well well

No mate..Codoning the voice of the people..

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty........Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

We have seen what peaceful protest does......Nothing..!!!!!

Jefferson was not speaking about protesting tuition hikes and austerity measures aimed at reeling in out of control spending in nations on the verge of bankruptcy. This is what you want, this is what you get is a harsh reality

All of that protesting in the London prior to the vote and massive protests the day of the vote. What happened? They still passed the measure to hike tuition fees to get them back in line with reality. Can't get blood from a turnip. Perhaps they should just close the unis instead of raising fees eh?

The tuition fees are three times higher because tptb have been" ripping everyone off"
for 50 years.And the 'bankers" have it all. They will not have a future because
of "that fact". What should people do?... All righty' then mate, no future it is then ?
What other choice do they have ? Peaceful protest do not work anymore.
they laugh at the people.And The Queen Lizard is at the heart of the matter
in England.Taking money from the poor to heat her Grand Buckingham Palace.
not daring to touch her vast trillions of wealth/property around the globe.
They horde it all for themselves, to build underground bunkers,because they are
scared to death of The People! and rightfully so, "They are Guilty"
.No, I have no sympathy for the devil, or Tyrants, or Criminals.
Let THEM "have cake" and eat it, and like it for a change.

The BrainGarden.
And, violence is a LAST resort,

reply to post by BrainGarden


Actually, £9,000 a year is a bargain when compared to University fees around the globe. The problem stems from the years and years of free and then really low fees the Students have got used too. Also, unlike alot of the world, these fees don't have to be paid in advance and are only [aid back once the Graduate has got themselves a well paid job.

Like I said, no sympathy for the crying babies who want everything for free and provided for them on a silver platter. It has fudge all to do with the Queen.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I think my thread might be somewhat relative. Make of it what you will.

Orchestration.

reply to post by stumason


Well spoken don't have much else to add from an outsiders prospective. Hopefully we keep it from hopping across the pond is all.

Originally posted by stumason
reply to post by BrainGarden

 

Actually, £9,000 a year is a bargain when compared to University fees around the globe. The problem stems from the years and years of free and then really low fees the Students have got used too. Also, unlike alot of the world, these fees don't have to be paid in advance and are only [aid back once the Graduate has got themselves a well paid job.

Like I said, no sympathy for the crying babies who want everything for free and provided for them on a silver platter. It has fudge all to do with the Queen.

I stand corrected,
but, still angry.

Originally posted by stumason
reply to post by BrainGarden

 

Like I said, no sympathy for the crying babies who want everything for free and provided for them on a silver platter. It has fudge all to do with the Queen.

I have sympathy for the generation who won't be entitled to EMA, and in certain poorer areas, working class families whom happen to live in areas affected by job losses aswell, will not be able to support a teen through college, and will be disheartened at the prospect of a debt that has just tripled.

These 'cry babies' are the ones who will be forced to abandon any hope of a higher education and will end up in mundane jobs, since they have neither the experience nor the qualifications for post-graduate jobs, which can in a lot of cases (subject dependant) only be acquired through education and training.

www.guardian.co.uk...

Moreover, other research on EMA, from organisations such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies, has shown that it has a strong impact on participation, as well as particular impacts on the retention of certain groups such as young black people. The NUS's own research, which polled over 2,000 EMA recipients, found that 60% say they would not be able to continue learning without it.

Let's be very clear who we are talking about. Some 91% of young people who are entitled to free school meals at year 11 receive EMA, 83% of young people from single-parent households receive it, as do 76% of the lowest-achieving 16-year-olds who continue in education. What future can the government offer these young people now?

And since the poorer areas tend to be affected by job cuts the most, and unemployment benefits are being 'reshaped'

www.ft.com...

Many analysts expect unemployment to rise over the coming year but were reluctant to call a turning point.

www.bbc.co.uk...

--

What's effectively happening is a cull of working class families future. No jobs, costly education, reduced benefits.

Also first year graduates are graded on a family's income. If BOTH parents work (and thus are unable to claim any seperate benefits) then the young student will have LESS entitlements to support him/her through university. Working class families tend to occupy particular 'low-paid' sectors of industry and thus will be using money for mortgages and transport and day to day life as opposed to funding two children through university.

If neither parent works then obviously they will be able to claim benefits for themselves and the family home, but will be unable fund their son/daughter, although current university grants etc will be higher, but then we're faced with the dilemma of a family out of work and on benefits.

Please remember that although many members are all to quick to insult, belittle and patronise us students, not all of us come from privileged backgrounds. If you guy are sick of the obnoxious sides of the middle classes now, then be prepared to exposed to only the middle classes, since a lot of working class potential students will not be able to afford or will be unwilling to encompass triple fees without further financial support and you'll see a lot less of us.

As the conservative elitism and withering liberal 'coalition' will ensure that poorer families will think twice about sending their son/daughter to a university and acquiring and a £27'000 debt and no guarantee of a post-graduate job afterwards - since many sectors are ALSO receiving cuts.

Anyway, that''s my observation.

Nothing quite like seeing a bunch of spoiled #s rioting because they can no longer get something for nothing.

That’s the problem with socialism, sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.

Unless you're in Scotland of course, where University is free. And any English that attend just had their fees tripled also as of today.

So 2 kids at the same school in Scotland, One born in Beswick, One from Edinburgh

The Scot gets Free Uni, the English Kid, not 2 miles from the border has to pay.

I thought this was a UNITED Kingdom.

yeah right don't make me laugh. Just another reason why I left for the 3rd World

Originally posted by kolcath
thanx from the uk we need all the support we can get and god bless you my friend.

Count me as another American supporting my European brothers and sisters.

Now, for my American brothers and sisters....when are WE going to get fed up enough to do something?