greed and grievance

[Ankou]

scholars claim that greed and grievance are the baseline arguments for the causes of civil war.

given the current mileu in the uk appears to be based solely on an outright urge to vandalise and rob (greed), or to cause violence upon the establishment (grievance) - is it possible that prolonged rioting could lead to a civil war in the uk ?

[Gromit]

No. The rioters may number in their hundreds, but law abiding citizens are in their millions. They do not have any popular support, the opposite in fact. If it did come to us vs them, they wouldn't last 2 minutes.

That is not to say something needs to be done about perceived inequalities and unfairness. Bankers robbing the nation's coffers of £billions rewarded with 6 figure bonuses, while local services in Tottenham and Manchester are closed to pay for it all.

[Ankou]

whilst i agree, you say "If it did come to us vs them, they wouldn't last 2 minutes."

how about it then?

[Gromit]

Though it is frustrating watching young thieves and vandals getting away with it (for now), war and the resulting deaths of the losers is a tad extreme.

[ichkeria]

Who are the "scholars" who say that? Can you give chapter and verse?
It's only part of the story anyway: for a civil war you need weapons distributed on a large scale, apart from anything else.
That's why, for example, in 1972, and again in 1979, when people were predicting a civil war in N. Ireland, they were misguided as there simply were not the weapons to go round for one thing. The current situation in England even lacks the political element which existed in N. Ireland.

[Ankou]

ichkeria, whilst i would love to refer to my friends in the scholarly circles that i hang around in, alas i am without.

http://www.google.co....3b27&biw=1020&bih=427

[ichkeria]

Thanks for that Ankou.
It looks very interesting and I shall read at my leisure. I am not doubting for one minute that greed and grievance are factors in civil wars, but this piece seems to be a study of wars that have taken place. One can say that greed and grievance were a factor in the war which took place in country x in the years y-z, but of course there have to be other factors too, which seem absent here. I note they say, for example:
"To be viable, a rebel organization must survive militarily against the government army, and for this it needs manpower and equipment."

[Ankou]

noted ichkeria, but i think you are reading too much into my op. no ulterior motive other than an overture to the mere possibility, however unlikely.

[ichkeria]

Ankou,
I was not reading any ulterior motive, I assure you. But it was a serious question.
Reading further into this article the authors have certainly gone to town on the maths I see!

[bazwillrun]

total garbage , the blacks that started all this off have done it before in other parts of the country and will do it again, they will do it wherever they are, they have massive chips on thier shoulders, give them lots of money and they will still do , its the nature of these scum.

they want to live by thier laws and be left to do things their own uncivilised way and unfortunately there's white kids copying them , and for some strange reason these white kids think its cool to be black and even try and talk like them.

People hate to face up to facts but these blacks are a blight on this country.

Theres a lot of people who need to get those rose-colored leftie do gooder specs off remove the blinkers and for once just face the facts and admit who is ruining this country.

Yet again its plain to see

[Ankou]

reported. i'd rather your puerile biliousness did not stain my thread.

[didoatwork]

Thank you Ankou. I quite agree.

[chelle7272]

Well done ankou