Why The Rioters Are Right

Now that I've caught your attention with that extreme blog title, I'm going to go ahead and clarify that I don't actually believe that the rioters are right at all - it was just a shameless ploy to grab your attention. Because the last thing you want to read is a self-righteous blog pointing out for everyone to see that the rioters are, in fact, wrong. Great job, voice of morality. Now go ahead and point out to us why rape is not actually the way to go, and racism is becoming that little bit too lame.

That's not how I roll.

But I do believe I am one of those lefties being pigeon-holed as 'defending the rioters'. I can't defend their actions; it should go without saying that they are doing entirely immoral things, creating havoc for not much reason at all.

But that doesn't mean the actions don't have a cause.

Here's where the determinist element of this blog is going to stick out. I don't believe in free will. I believe that all actions have a cause. Sure, the cause is probably too long-winded and complex for humans to ever understand to the extent that they can predict actions, but that doesn't make it not true.

When we make a decision, it is our character which makes it. Now our character is an abstract idea built from birth by external forces. Society, genetics, family. From the moment you're born society will impress ideas onto you. The things you experience; the situation you grow up in. The events you witness. These all build your character. Sometimes it's obvious how certain things have developed our character, and other times we won't see it at all. But the causes are there.

We're all in the giant conga line of Cause and Effect; it's just a question of whether we trudge along, or dance.

That's a quote. From me. Aren't I great? But that's how I feel. Human actions are subject to cause and effect just like everything else in the universe. Knowing this, you can be free. Other than that freedom is a fantasy idea. Freedom is accepting that you're not free. I really am master of the paradoxes today, aren't I?

How does this relate to the riots? Well naturally these actions had causes. There's no simple cause. Obviously the death of Duggan may have catalysed the fall of the dominoes, but elsewhere I think the main cause was poverty. It might not be, but regardless there is a cause. Calling these rioters 'scum' in an attempt to dehumanise them is just missing the point. They *are* human. Just like you. They weren't born 'scum'. Society has raised them scum. A lack of equality in society creates a disillusioned working class, some of these will end up less educated, less prone to bow to authority. Not all, of course not. But these people have causes for their actions, no matter how mindless they may seem.

I might not have pinpointed the causes for their actions exactly, but so what? That's not the point of me writing this. I'm not justifying their actions either; they are wrong, pure and simple. But what is without doubt is that they have a cause that is bigger than those who committed these crimes, bigger than your self-righteous 'rioting is wrong' preaching. Fuck it, a lot of these people are probably too stupid to understand the causes to their actions themselves. That doesn't make it not true, and let's face it - they're stupid for a reason.

So don't be self-righteous and expect the Morality Police to come along and give you a golden star for pointing out the painfully obvious 'rioting is wrong'; they're out of gold stars. They've already handed them all out.

So let's end with a recap.

There's no such thing as a stupid person; only stupid actions. When someone acts stupidly don't condemn them for condemnation's sake. Condemn them for justice, to reform but never for condemnation's sake alone. Morality is not self-serving. These riots are despicable, but the rioters are human and there but for the grace of Cause and Effect go you.