UK Riots Expose Media Muck
August 10, 2011 12:56 by Simon PloskerThe riots afflicting London and other parts of the UK have made headline news around the world. What has this got to do with coverage of the Middle East however?
Often, anti-Israel bias or activism is but one part of an individual’s or even a media outlet’s overall world view or political slant. While reserving a particular animosity towards Israel, many anti-Israel activists are also involved in other activities that would ordinarily place them on the fringes of political debate.
Coverage of the UK riots has exposed how some individuals and media outlets with a history of anti-Israel bias are also part of a much deeper malaise that affects not only coverage of Israel but of wider issues as well.
Here are some examples that the UK riots have brought to our attention:
Anti-Israel Blogger Dumped by The Independent
Some UK media outlets have a nasty habit of giving platforms to some of the most vicious and vociferous anti-Israel activists. Take Jody McIntyre, a regular blogger at The Independent’s website, who as recently as July 2011 wrote a piece referring to Israel as a “rogue state” and advocating boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS).
Blogger Richard Millett expands on McIntyre’s anti-Israel activities and his media profile in left-wing outlets such as The Observer and Huffington Post, as well as his blog in The Independent. Millet also highlights a speech McIntyre made at a Palestine Solidarity Campaign event where he said:
I say this at a time when people across the Arab world are setting alight to themselves in protest against their governments. We must take inspiration from them this year when we set the streets of London alight.
Evidently, McIntyre’s wish to see London burning has been fulfilled. As the rioting and looting spread, McIntyre just couldn’t help exposing himself for the extremist he is as he tweeted:
This and other blatant incitement against the British police was too much for The Independent. McIntyre’s blog page now reads:
Following his recent tweets and statements on the London riots, The Independent will no longer be taking blogs from Jody McIntyre.
In fact, many in the BDS movement are professional political agitators whose wider political opinions belong on society’s fringes. Yet, the media are still content to give them a platform on issues concerning Israel while ignoring the fact that many of them are political extremists.
With anti-Israel Independent contributor Robert Fisk forced to apologize for a fraudulent story and Johann Hari suspended for alleged plagiarism, it’s clear that there is something rotten in The Independent. By removing Jody McIntyre, one bad apple is no longer there.
Shame about the rest of the orchard.
For more on Jody McIntyre, read Richard Millett’s Blog.
UPDATE: It just gets worse for McIntyre who has now been dumped by the Huffington Post and the UK’s Channel Four. See Backspin for more.
Press TV: Iran’s Unwelcome Advice For the UK
Why does the UK still allow the Iranian propaganda tool Press TV to reach British living rooms? The latest pronouncements from the Iranian regime are so absurd that it’s difficult to tell the difference between Press TV reports and material on The Onion or Comedy Central.
Responding to the UK riots, Press TV reports:
The Human Rights Subcommittee condemned the killing of Mark Duggan by British police in London, Fars news agency reported Tuesday.
Mohammad Karim Abedi, the vice-chairman of the sub-committee, said that the Majlis, as the representative of the Iranian nation, supports the rights of the British people and urged London to order the police to stop treating protesters violently.
The spokesman of the subcommittee Hossein Naqavi also condemned what he called the UK’s “double standards” towards human rights.
A senior Iranian lawmaker says the recent crackdowns on Britons in the United Kingdom are against human rights, urging the United Nations and international rights bodies to adopt preventive measures against the oppression in the UK.
And better still:
A senior Iranian lawmaker says Iran’s Majlis (parliament) is ready to send a group of human rights rapporteurs to the UK to investigate human rights violations in the country.
A case could be made for letting Press TV continue broadcasting such obvious nonsense as a means to ridicule the Iranian regime and wreck any semblance of credibility it may still have. However, Press TV has a long history of spreading hatred and incitement, particularly against Israel and the Jews.
This has included publishing Nicholas Kollerstrom’s outrageous piece of Holocaust denial, The Walls of Auschwitz: A Review of the Chemical Studies and frequently featuring Lady Michelle Renouf, a neo-Nazi and supporter of Holocaust denier David Irving.
In addition:
- Ofcom, Britain’s media regulatory body, censured George Galloway, saying his show was just a vehicle for Galloway’s own polemics against Israel, breaching standards of presenting balanced viewpoints. British viewers haven’t forgotten Galloway’s fawning interview with his boss, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
- Lauren Booth’s Mavi Marmara special was also censured by Ofcom. The idea of Booth — who just happened to spearhead the flotilla movement and foolishly got stuck in Gaza — making a show about the Mavi Marmara was too ridiculous for everyone but Press TV and its Iranian masters.
- Ofcom also investigated Press TV complicity in the arrest of Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari. Bahari was arrested in Iran covering the country’s 2009 post-election protests.
- Press TV also lost a number of high-profile presenters who left in disgust at the station’s slanted coverage of those 2009 post-election protests.
Isn’t the latest Iranian insult to the intelligence of the UK public just another good reason to take Press TV off the air?
Guardian’s Obsession Exposed
The Guardian went out of its way to avoid mentioning the race, religion, ethnicity or national background of those participating in the UK riots.
But guess the exception:
The make up of the rioters was racially mixed. Most were men or boys, some apparently as young as ten.
But families and other local residents, including some from Tottenham’s Hasidic Jewish community, also gathered to watch and jeer at police.
Following a complaint from CiF Watch, The Guardian amended its article to the following:
But families and other local residents representative of the area – black, Asian and white, including some from Tottenham’s Hasidic Jewish community – also gathered to watch and jeer at police.
Evidently The Guardian couldn’t bring itself to remove the Hasidic reference, instead preferring to identify the backgrounds of others at the scene.
Yet more evidence of the singularly obnoxious obsession with anything Jewish or Israeli on the part of The Guardian.
UPDATE: The Guardian’s Corrections page, referring to the description of the mix of people on the streets of Tottenham, explains:
In keeping with Guardian editorial guidelines, a more detailed picture of the mix should have been given to specify some of the other groups there.
Take a closer look at your media. Can you recognize when an anti-Israel slant is a sign that a commentator or media outlet can’t be trusted to get it right on the other issues of the day?
Brent Pudsey
10:51 pm
Aug 10, 2011
There is definetly , a racial undertone to these riots but I am not sure if this was the main reason. A discussion on the BBC noted reasons why these events occur and gave the reasons of greed, excessive peer pressure among younger people seeking to belong and finally leaders with some mental illness issues. I cannot comment on police action as I am not aware of all the details except that the gentlemen shot was a career criminal with a history of armed robbery and was in a cab. When the cab did not stop for the police they shot.
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Ben Dor
9:08 am
Aug 11, 2011
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Eduard
9:51 am
Aug 11, 2011
Unfortunately, the enemy of my hater is not my friend. I have no simpathy for the Britsh, but it makes me sad to see the decline of the Western Civilization in places like London, Paris and Oslo.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Steve Mann
11:04 am
Aug 11, 2011
Ben- I do not understand your correlation between what’s happened in the UK and your statement- “The greed for oil and money has brought on this situation.”
Please explain.
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Moshe Flam
9:24 am
Aug 11, 2011
The only way to fight media lies is with humor. Make an image clearly showing the rioters, with the guardian logo and caption with the sentence about the jeering hassidim. Or just: Jeering hassidic Jews.
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sav'ta shel Cohen
12:30 pm
Aug 11, 2011
The media generally believe that violence, hatred, disaster and the “exotic” attract more raders and viewers than most other things and most media outlets never let the facts interfere with a good story. Hassidic Jews are particularly targetted because of their novelty factor and, in my opinion, when many people think of Jews and Israel, suffering and drama immediately spring to mind. This makes them ideal copy for journalists who don’t want to work too hard at getting a really interesting story. Of course, academic exercise aside, some media outlets are just plain anti-semetic. However, regardless of their motives, use and abuse of “the Jew” stinks. Britain showed its contempt for the Jews in the Middle Ages and little has really changed so the behaviour of the Guardian is not surprising . Unfortunately, Britain is now paying the price for its years of violent colonial conquest, perpetuation of an outrageous class system and little acknowledgment of and support for its disenfranchised. I think most of us were just waiting for the bubble to burst. I do hope those who have control and power will now take effective measures to turn the situation around and make that society a more equitable one.
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Steve Mann
1:04 pm
Aug 11, 2011
sav`ta shel- Let me ask you which country has not treated the Jew with contempt-
The whole of Europe especially Eastern Europe is thus guilty- through the ages-Spain, Portugal, Italy, France. Sanctury for the Nazis in S.America . Australia and the Jewish camps during WW2.
Even America- That great film with Gregory Peck “The Gentleman’s Agreement” showed the USA anti-Semitism of excluding Jews from hotel rooms to golf clubs.
The UK whist Cromwell brought the Jews back into the land the Socialist party under the control of Ernest Bevin broke Balfours promise in its entirety. This after Churchill allowed Lawrence of Arabia`s wish to give that East of the Jordan to the Hashems of Saudi Arabia.(Jordan)
So yes the UK can be castigated but she is not unique in the anti-Semitism that has existed around the world..
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sav'ta shel Cohen
12:39 pm
Aug 13, 2011
Steve you are of course correct and anti-semitism, in all its forms, is deplorable wherever it is happening. One can either ignore it by pretending that this is not what is happening or be ever vigilant and openly confront it when one notices it. I also find it extremely hard to even imagine that Hassidic Jews would have aligned themselves with a lawless, rioting mob – to me that would be more like something you might see in a Hollywood comedy. In my experience it would be more likely that they would be giving the mob a tongue lashing – we know they can get a bit cranky when things are happening that they don’t like. The trouble with the media is that they manipulate images to suite their own agenda and mostly give us their take on the news rather than just reporting the news and letting us make up our own minds.
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Lyuben
9:10 pm
Aug 17, 2011
To Steve Mann:
“sav`ta shel- Let me ask you which country has not treated the Jew with contempt-
The whole of Europe especially Eastern Europe is thus guilty- through the ages-Spain, Portugal, Italy, France. Sanctury for the Nazis in S.America . Australia and the Jewish camps during WW2.
Even America- That great film with Gregory Peck “The Gentleman’s Agreement” showed the USA anti-Semitism of excluding Jews from hotel rooms to golf clubs.”
Not ALL countries or nations have treated Jews with contempt! BULGARIA is among the rare exceptions – See Sir Martin Gilbert’s works, especially his atlases of Jewish history and the Holocaust as well as his excellent book “Letters to Auntie Fori: The 5,000-Year History of the Jewish People and their Faith, (2002)”
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Lyuben
9:21 pm
Aug 17, 2011
To Steve Mann:
Not ALL countries or nations have treated Jwes with contempt. BULGARIA is among the rare exceptions! See Sir Martin Gilbert’s works, especially his atlases of Jewish history and the Holocaust as well as his excellent book “Letters to Auntie Fori: The 5,000-Year History of the Jewish People and their Faith, (2002)”
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Must Know Headlines — ExposeTheMedia.com
3:22 pm
Aug 11, 2011
[...] UK Riots Expose Media Muck [...]
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Jiri Adler
6:55 pm
Aug 11, 2011
Yesterday there was a lively discussion about the Guardian’s intent in their reference to Hasidic Jews. GeorgeK put forward his understanding of the article thinking that the only reason why Hasidic Jews were mentioned was to underline that were no “racial undertones” in these riots and that even traditionally peaceful Hasidic Jews participated. In reply I pointed out that while this explanation was plausible there was enough room for different readings of the article there, and wondered if that ambiguity was intentional or not. Well, yesterday I was listening to CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) news – not surprisingly they talked about the UK and riots. They invited as a guest one senior editor from London newspapers (unfortunately, I just remember that his name was Jeff and am not sure which papers he works for). Needless to say, it came very quickly to that question of “racial undertones” and this London Newspaper type did not waste any time pronouncing that “even Orthodox Jews and white people were involved in these riots”. Please, note that as opposed to the Guardian’s article, there is no ambiguity in this statement – according to this guy, orthodox Jews were involved.
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GeorgesK
8:09 pm
Aug 11, 2011
Thank you Jiri. I’d like to add that the CBC interview as you describe it (I have not seen it) also removes the ambiguity of why the presence of whites and Orthodox Jews was mentioned. This person on the CBC did it to downplay the racial undertones of the riots, not to portray Orthodox Jewish community as one prone to rioting. I am of the opinion that that was the Guardian’s intent as well.
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Jiri Adler
8:39 pm
Aug 11, 2011
Right, that was the intent – but I still have hard time to see why select Orthodox Jews as an example (white not, for instance, Orthodox Christians if he (the editor) had that irresistible urge to select any specific group) – and to be honest, I still somehow can’t picture Orthodox Jews being actively involved in riots.
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GeorgesK
3:03 am
Aug 13, 2011
There, I agree. Mentioning that whites participated, or that people of all racial/ethnic backgrounds participated would have sufficed (by the way, Orthodox Christians aren’t visibly distinguishable by their religion, ). Finally, I too honestly have a hard time picturing diaspora Hasids rioting, but one should always expect to be surprised in such circumstances!
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Eve
10:04 pm
Aug 11, 2011
I am finding this impossible to follow as I cannot get access to more than the last few comments, is there a reason for this?
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Hamishim Agora
2:29 am
Aug 12, 2011
The riots started in a part of London which has both large state-dependent communities and a large community of Chasidic Jews. Both will be found there every day, going about their business. When the riots started, Chasidim would have been on the streets as normal.
I suspect that they mostly took shelter like other non-rioters and non-looters, but there is always the chance that some of their youth got caught up in the frenzy of looting as much as did youth from every other community.
Sadly, and inexcusably, people who do know right from wrong joined in with what they knew was wrong. It was not restricted to any one age or race.
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Eddie Langsman
3:25 am
Aug 12, 2011
I unfortunately missed the CBC news item where the Chasidic comment was made. But I did
see BBC news footage with a very brief glimpse of one or more Chasidic Jews running in the street during the disturbance. I am familiar with that area of London which is close to Stamford Hill where the largest community of Chasidic Jews live and to my knowledge, as is usual with that community they are insular and take little part in local issues, unless they are affected.
I would cast considerable doubt as to whether the allegations made are accurate as there is a long history of mutual respect between police and Chasidim in the area. I am aware there was considerable frustration felt by local people at the failure of police to deal with the situation and
even back away from confrontation with the looters.
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Boris Krivy
3:35 am
Aug 12, 2011
In a comment I posted much earlier I stated that two days ago I briefly saw in a BBC item 3 or 4 obviously Chasidic Jews running toward the camera and away from the crowd. The expression on their faces was definitely not one of pleasure, but possibly one of fear. No mention of them was made in the narration. This was just one very brief shot out of many dealing with the riot.
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Nathan Zafran
4:59 am
Aug 12, 2011
What’s happening in Britain? Where is the restrained, reserved and suave Brit. Are these the people who do not miss a chance to criticize Israel for excessive use of force against Palestinian demonstrators (who are for the most part mortal enemies)? Apparently, all the British exterior sheen, with its’ theatrical royal weddings and pageants, along with decades of appeasement (often with the use of anti-Israeli currency) and open arms, has failed to hide the real muck, which despite all, has emerged to the surface. Those who accept slogans from the hoodlums of Stamford Bridge: “we prefer the Pakis to the Yids”, now need to face them on the streets of British cities.
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Anthony Garland
11:55 am
Aug 12, 2011
In the BBC footage some Chasids were shown standing around, wondering no doubt what the world was coming to! Far from taunting the police, the Chasids’ shomrim were actively assisting them and handed over several miscreants to the police.
Typical of the Guardian (and the BBC) to give the piece an anti-Semitic slant.
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GeorgesK
2:37 am
Aug 13, 2011
First of all, what in the world makes you think that those three Hasids shown on the BBC and those seen by the Guardian reporter are the same ones? Are there only three Hasids in all of London? Second, even if they were in the riot, how is stating that fact anti-semitic? If I say that I saw a black man in the riot, is that racist? no. If I say that all black men are rioting miscreants, then yes, that is racist. When does this article come *even close* to implying that all Hasidic Jews are violent rioters? Do you even listen to yourself talk, man?
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Steve Mann
11:25 am
Aug 13, 2011
George you are missing the point- man!
Whether these Hasidic`s were taunting the police or not-(Which is debatable in its self to know what reason they would have- unlike your situation where you come into conflict with them)
The point isthat the dress of these Hasidic , from the picture , makes it plain who they are- The dress and colour and body language of the other rioters says who they are- The Guardian only made reference to the “Jews”- not Muslims, not Christians, not African Carabeans, or any other sect-
Knowing the bias, which has become indisputable of the Guardian then one jumps, justifiably to a conclusion.
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GeorgesK
7:14 pm
Aug 13, 2011
Fine, I see there is no seeing reason. I’m done with this. Do yourselves a favour and get your inferiority complexes checked out. I’ll save my energy for fighting actual antisemitism and other forms of racism. Peace out.
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Steve Mann
11:27 am
Aug 14, 2011
I doubt that George is leaving for the reason he says- I think its more or less because like all “Professional” political protesters they need the buzz of conflict and this one is now old hat.
And as an aside the Duggan guy who was shot, now happens to be part and a relation of the infamous Manchester Noonan Gangsters- Responsible for- Drug running,larceny, and assassinations.
Nevertheless the police will be taken to task for his demise. And of course a man is innocent until proved otherwise. But which one George- Duggan or the policeman who shot him!
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nobel of eternity
12:19 pm
Aug 12, 2011
well david cameron the prime minister of great britain
said that he will blogg internet activities, twitter, facebook and other tools to stop violence in uk
this event shows a lack odf respect for the democratic values of europe
speech doesnt kill or causes extreme violence
and david cameron is not resolving the problems on his own country that faces similar problems with
greece
economic crisis always bring up in the surface of political systems fascistic methods that do not have any relation to the urban democracy after french revolution
so democracies in europe become gradually fascistic regimes similar to nazism or fascism
and the urban mid classes looses all priviliges that it had for the latest 2 centuries, gaining them from the french revolution
europe could face up economic crisis if russia become a member of eurozone
russia has a very strong economy and it could give loans to the weaker bonds of euro zone like in the mediterranean countries and germany by this way and its taxis payer not to be obliged to give loans with races on the weaker countries
europe by this way will expand its activities on asian markets easier because it will be expanded by lisbon until vladivostock
by this way david cameron will resolve a part of his problems even if british dont like the russians entrance in eurozone
http://www.arelis.gr
it contains erotonomicon and new york olympia
and exhibition of orthodromic retrospection
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Jody McIntyre von Huffington Post und Channel Four geschasst « Medien BackSpin
3:27 pm
Aug 12, 2011
[...] Es kommt noch dicker für Jody McIntyre, den antiisraelischen Aktivisten, der vom Independent wegen seiner über Twitter verbreiteten Gewaltaufrufe entlassen worden war. [...]
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Dalek123
12:32 am
Aug 16, 2011
Its interesting to note the Iranian is accusing the British police of a brutal crack down and human rights abuses over the riots, and yet you;d be hard pressed to find anything mentioning any government dissent in Iran. Odd that. Seeing as Iran supports some of the middle-east groups that McIntyre is a member of, how about he relocate to Iran for a week or so, set up blogs asking who polices the Iranian police, invite the residents of Tehran to rise up, express a wish to see the street “on fire”. Iran being such an enlightened, liberal society compared to nasty old England, I’m they’d tolerate such dissent with open arms.
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» UK Riots: Iranian Photo Fraud Exposed Freedom Alert!: Defending American Freedom by exposing Radical Islam, Socialist, Liberals, and all the Enemies of Freedom, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness!
4:46 pm
Aug 16, 2011
[...] Iranian Photo Fraud Exposed Posted in August 16th, 2011 by admin in Media Bias The laughable propaganda coming out of the Iranian regime aimed at the British authorities’ handling of recent riots has descended to even more [...]
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» UK Riots: Iranian Photo Fraud Exposed Freedom Alert!: Defending American Freedom by exposing Radical Islam, Socialist, Liberals, and all the Enemies of Freedom, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness!
4:46 pm
Aug 16, 2011
[...] Iranian Photo Fraud Exposed Posted in August 16th, 2011 by admin in Media Bias The laughable propaganda coming out of the Iranian regime aimed at the British authorities’ handling of recent riots has descended to even more [...]
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sadam
1:31 pm
Aug 17, 2011
this shitsite writer should realise that england must BURN BURN mudderfukker BURN
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sadam
1:37 pm
Aug 17, 2011
won’t be long before america will experience the same. You MURDERING TERRORISTS.
BURN YOU BASTARDS FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN BURN MUDDERFUKKERS!!!!!
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Steve Mann
3:36 pm
Aug 17, 2011
One dose not need to comment- This tormented , twisted, sick individual should be pitied – especially for a lack of intelligent thinking and being rather unhappy with Honest Reporting!
His diction is a proof of what the good guys are up against.
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Nathan Zafran
9:49 am
Aug 18, 2011
Who is this idiotic moron? Whoever let him out of his cage should be arrested
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sav'ta shel Cohen
9:59 pm
Aug 17, 2011
The implication of the 1:37pm post seems to be that like minded individuals such as he were responsible for what happened in England and that “they” will reproduce such events in the US. However, the evidence appears to suggest otherwise and, in fact, many of those involved have very strong feelings about the inequities in their country as well as being extremely upset at becoming a minority in their own land due to the enormous amounts of people such as 1:37pm being there and trying to impose their will on them. It seems more likely that the disenfranchised Anglos will, in the very near future, begin to focus and concentrate their anger on people such as 1:37pm. They have had a taste of “people power” now and may come to the realization that angry mobs can be quite effective agents of change. If I were 1:37pm and lived in England I would be thinking about finding a nation where the natives were a bit more friendly (yes, I realise that may be hard). Could this happen in the US? Of course. Might it be people like 1:37pm who organize it? Highly unlikely! Would it be met with the same restraint by US law enforcement and the army? Very unlikely! Many Americans feel just as disenfranchised as their English counterparts and much of their anger is directed towards people like 1:37pm. May I be so bold as to suggest that it “won’t be long before (you, 1:37pm) will experience the same.”
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