There is a problem in London, and it is not Riots; Riots are merely a manifestation of the real problem we face.
It is the same problem that plagues the rest of the world, it's a global drought of empathy. We all lack empathy to some degree, its a glass half empty way of putting it but the point must be made.
In politics the right wing care less for the undeserving lazy poor who sit around bludging off the dole and the left resent the arrogant greedy, rich who are just as lazy but have better educations and positions of power. Governments are made of people and people have preferences for some and not others. We make decisions based on who we have empathy for, whether it be ourselves and our family or just people in our situation.
The individual is just as responsible as the government and the "big corporations" whom they blame for all the world's woes, We lack empathy for someone or some thing too. People with different views, people with different nationalities, different religeons, different philosophies. Yet on a slightly more subtle level we slaughter animals wholesale for eating pleasure, we buy products that we know are made by the hands of the poor, we vote the massive corporations into their seat of power by using their products. WE are the problem (I'm just as guilty as anyone else, but I'm willing to admit that).
In a drought of empathy the smallest spark will ignite the massive wildfires of anger and hate, its a scene seen many times yet people still refuse to believe it, they still blame everyone else. Its the always the other guy, but really you're just as ready to ignite as him.
What we need is the water, the empathy. We need to care for those we disagree with, the rioters riot not “mindlessly” but very mindfully. They have no empathy for the shopowners or the people whose houses they're burning, just as we have none for them. Care for them as you would care for your mother, then you won't get caught up in the anger. You cant fight the riots with more violence, the riot squads are just as dry and ready to burn as anyone else. Lets add more fuel to the fire, feed it more kindling and then when thats done lets broadcast the angry heat all over the world to dry out some more sticks creating more empathetic drought elsewhere. The fire burns hard all over the world and will only keep spreading until we start to realize that we simply need to care more for those who are responsible. Dont dry yourself out or you just add to the problem, dont blame the rioters, the governments, the corporations, the religeous bigots, the sexist or anyone else. Blame yourself. If we all stop and blame ourselves for the idiotic lack of empathy we have for those with different values to us the fires will burn out. If we blame the fire itself we will burn and get burnt just as bad.
And think to yourself before you reply to this in rage... Who are you really hurting?
Anger is like a hot coal; if you pick it up and throw it at someone you might hurt them but you'll definitely burn yourself. – Buddha (or some Buddhist writer)
