BBC: Could world social unrest hit America's streets?

[Jimmie Higgins]

Could world social unrest hit America's streets? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14978876)

This BBC article sounds like it could have been written by people on RevLeft (If you change "fear" of upheaval to "hope" and ignore some of the conclusions maybe).

On a side note, Todd Gitlin (who is in fact a git) is quoted in the article and is a fucking git. He basically argues that Americans are too dim to see the causes of austerity and inequality and are also too complacent.

"It's one thing to know in the sense of 'I read this in the newspaper' that inequality is at its peak, that upward mobility barely exists, that the public sector is being stripped," he said. "It's not that daily life is unliveable as a result." :rolleyes: well maybe it's still livable for professional academics and apologists for the Democratic party.

[StarCityPartisan]

Could world social unrest hit America's streets? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14978876)

This BBC article sounds like it could have been written by people on RevLeft (If you change "fear" of upheaval to "hope" and ignore some of the conclusions maybe).

On a side note, Todd Gitlin (who is in fact a git) is quoted in the article and is a fucking git. He basically argues that Americans are too dim to see the causes of austerity and inequality and are also too complacent.

"It's one thing to know in the sense of 'I read this in the newspaper' that inequality is at its peak, that upward mobility barely exists, that the public sector is being stripped," he said. "It's not that daily life is unliveable as a result." :rolleyes: well maybe it's still livable for professional academics and apologists for the Democratic party.

Obviously the mainstream media wouldn't say this, so I can't offer evidence in the form of cited resources. However I took a long road trip with some comrades this summer. Every city, town, and county we went to was the same. We made it a point to talk to as many workers as we possibly could, and the thought of revolution (in various forms) was in fact on many of their minds, and accepted as an inevitable outcome in America's future. I will try to write a blog soon to elaborate on our findings during our countless face to face discussions.

[freakazoid]

Could WORLD social unrest hit Americas streets? No, that would be impossible, :P. Social unrest, much more likely if things don't change for the better.

[ВАЛТЕР]

I sure as hell hope so. The thing about social unrest in the US is it can get bloody, very bloody. Not simply because the police or military may intervene, but because so many Americans are armed to the teeth. With rifles, shotguns, pistols. You name it, you can find someone with it. If shit hits the fan, and I mean REALLY hits the fan. Expect blood up to the knees.

[Seth]

If the UK and France can have riots and unrest, then the US isn't immune. Also the cops have been pretty trigger happy of late.

[Salyut]

I sure as hell hope so. The thing about social unrest in the US is it can get bloody, very bloody. Not simply because the police or military may intervene, but because so many Americans are armed to the teeth. With rifles, shotguns, pistols. You name it, you can find someone with it. If shit hits the fan, and I mean REALLY hits the fan. Expect blood up to the knees.

The 1967 riots had tanks spraying projects with heavy machine gun fire (in response to friendly fire/imaginary snipers).

[Os Cangaceiros]

"That's what happened in Cairo. That's what happened in Madrid. You don't want those kind of riots here. The damage to a generation that can't find jobs will go on for many many years."

Wait, what? Riots? Is that really what happened in Cairo?

And riots in Madrid...:lol:

Anyway, just because America has gross differences in income, wealth, employment etc. does not magically mean that social unrest is on the agenda. Consider the fact that the crime rate has been going down since 2008. That's not to say that petty violent crime and real unrest are the same sort of thing, but a lot of people had the idea that the deepening of economic misery would make people act out desperately, and that can manifest itself in a lot of ways, from a mugging to a riot.