London Riots

[Torchwood]

Africa to send troops, food parcels to UK as riots spread

ETHIOPIA. The African Union today adopted a unilateral resolution to deploy army troops and care packages to England as looting and violence spread from London to other major cities. Spokesperson Charity Khumalo said “We can no longer stand by while these savages tear themselves apart.”
The AU, meeting today in an emergency session to discuss the ongoing rioting in the UK, has declared that they will do “everything in their power to help bring civilisation to England”.
“It’s just so sad, you know?” said Khumalo, speaking from the organisation’s HQ in Addis Ababa. “Sitting here and watching them on TV while their society implodes. We cannot in good conscience remain idle and let it happen.”
The AU has announced a range of initiatives that Africans can get involved with to help alleviate the misery of the English.
“For instance, we have launched an ‘Adopt an English child’ programme,” Khumalo explained, showing journalists brochures featuring the faces of English kids. “If you donate a mere R50 a month, you can see to it that sweet little Johnny from Peckham receives a basic education, a pack of condoms and a pair of pimpin’ Nikes.”
Khumalo also said that the AU would be parachuting in dentists along with army troops as part of a ‘Feel better about yourselves, Brits!’ initiative.
“You can understand why they’re turning on each other,” the spokesperson told journalists. “You look in the mirror and you see teeth untouched by modern dentistry. It’s heartbreaking enough to make anyone put a brick through a Starbucks.”
The organisation also plans to air-drop care packages on major UK cities.
“Vegetables, mainly,” Khumalo confirmed. “We’re sending them vegetables and toothpaste.”
The AU’s flagship event, however, will be a star-studded rock concert to be held in Johannesburg, with all proceeds going towards the establishment of mobile libraries around the UK. Artists ranging from Mafikizolo to Steve Hofmeyr have pledged to perform at the show.
“As a humanitarian, it’s the least I can do,” Hofmeyr said yesterday. “I look at those photos of the adorable little beasts knifing each other in fights over looted X-Boxes and I want to hug them and give them a nice hot cup of Milo.”
Meanwhile, the week’s events has seen terrified South Africans in London and Manchester packing their bags for home.
“This country is going to the dogs, dude,” said Werner du Preez, a gap-year student from Johannesburg. “I’ve been offered a nice little two-bed place in Hillbrow where I can feel safe again.”

[skyhook77sfg]

EXCELLENT TURNABOUT SATIRE

thank you for the chuckles

[Sparky]

[Simple Minded]

Torchwood,

excellent.

Ancient African proverb:

"It takes a village to raise a child..... in London!"

[Simple Minded]

Roughly 40 or 50 years ago, most middle class families in the US had a stay at home Mom, raising the younguns, and a working Dad bringing home a paycheck.

Perhaps about 20-30 years ago, the family zeitgeist changed. For a multiple of reasons, a significant percentage of middle class and upper middle class families evolved into two parents both working full time, and the raising of the yutes was sub-contracted out to institutions and others (primary care providers).

While the reason may be specific to each family, in society, in very general terms, the idea of the working Mom, seeking professional fulfilment became more "chic" than the stay at home mother, who nurtured her child. In extremely oversimplified terms, the "biological mom or dad" earning $X per hour, hiring a "primary care provider" for less than $X per hour seemed a no-brainer.

I remember thinking that, "Who would be surprised?", if these children who have experienced a lower level of attention from their parents, during the child's formative years, may become extremely nasty, and self-absorbed as adults. They might have even less of a bond to their parents (or society in general) when they become teenagers or young adults than their predecessors. As the children mature into middle aged adults, that lack of bond may be reflected in how their treat their elderly parents.

Please note, I am not talking about the whole single parent/welfare receipient, chicken or egg situation of those whom some have defined as the "underclass." I am talking about the middle class, who have generally considered in the past to be the "pillar of the community" types.

In the US, the devaluing of the parent-child relationship 20-30 years ago, seems a logical cause of eliminating the "unsustainable" social contracts with the elderly during the current/continuing economic down turn of the next few years.

For those of you more familar with social norms in Great Britain or Europe than I (not hard to be), was there a similar change in attitudes towards child rearing/materialism/professional fulfullment in Great Britain or Europe a few decades ago?

Are the current riots in London a leading indicator? Or chickens coming home to roost even among the middle class....

[Apollonius]

SM,

Not sure if what I have to say here is relevant or not.


What I see more and more of is what I call "throw-away dads".

I realize that most men have bad habits and some are downright obnoxious, but after the kids arrive and a few years go by, more and more women-- not just the notorious "welfare queens" we hear about, but increasingly, ordinary middle-class women with careers-- find adult men to be an annoyance and learn to live without them being around much.

I also get to wondering if the new style of child-rearing isn't much different from the old. The father isn't and wasn't there. In the old days, he worked all day long and was too tired to interact much with the little ones by the time he got home. Nowadays, he's there for holidays or some special outing, but lives away from the family domicile because everyone seems to prefer it that way.

[skyhook77sfg]

outstanding observation

everything has the seeds of its own destruction....

even necessary progressions...

60's rebellion against authority

womens liberation....


when will mens liberation occur?

[Simple Minded]

Apollonius,

Very relevent, IMSMO, thanks.

Where do you live?

I am in VA, USA.

[Apollonius]

British California (Canada)

[YMix]

[AzariLoveIran]

.





.

[Tinker]

[Azrael]

[Sparky]

:

Our father, who art in prison,
Even my mum knows not his name,
Thy Chavdom come,
Thy will be done in Manchester
As it is in London,
Give us this day our welfare bread,
And forgive us our ASBO's,
As we happy slap those who give evidence against us.
And lead us not to employment,
But deliver us free housing,
For thine is the Chavdom,
The Burberry & the Bacardi,
Forever and ever.

Innit

[the glowing carp]

[Tinker]

[Simple Minded]

[Simple Minded]

[skyhook77sfg]

SIMPLE

your generational cycles theory holds a lot of water...

while back someone wrote a fine poli sci book on the subject

with very astute labels for the psychic moods that cycle...

will try to track it down for you

[Tinker]

Simple Minded I raise my kids old-school. I mean, maybe not recognizably old-school to that surly old coot I called Grandpa, but definitely the core of it. "Nobody owes you nothin'." When my daughter gets in my face and rages about the thing she wants I tell her, "I don't have to do ANYTHING for you." and I make sure she knows that I am not to be dictated to. I'm a bit of pushover at certain times when I want to let her win, but generally it's a choice to let her win that one time.

I think there is some truth to what you say. I think people are going to relearn it.

That sort of Conservative revival I can be down with 100%.

[Sparky]

[Colonel Sun]

[Simple Minded]

[Colonel Sun]

[Simple Minded]