I thought I'd add my thoughts to the state of the country after the past few days of riots and unrest, where I think some of the cause may have been and what can be done to improve things for the future, one disclaimer I'll add is that I'm not an expert on the implications of what would or wouldn't happen or why it couldn't happen, I'm sure there are many factors that would effect it.
After listening to some of the kids speaking about why they were rioting, it was obvious that there was no defining cause to it, I heard some say it was because they wanted more opportunities, one said she was getting her taxes back (I'm sure she was too young to be paying them), some because it was too good an opportunity to miss and get stuff for free! and others because it was a laugh..however I'm sure the laugh will be on them as they are rounded up and punished for these crimes.
I think the irony was lost on them that the damage they have caused will come back on them not least I hope through Karma but through the fact that insurances will go up, it will come out of our council tax, there are now even less jobs to go round and it puts the country in an even more stressed state than it already was, there is the cost of paying the emergency services for the overtime and then the clean up cost too. Then there is the cost of businesses no longer being in business meaning they will no longer be contributing to the economy or jobs and I'm sure I've missed other costs too. This is all before we even start to look at the emotional costs too. I would be interested to see film of them being interviewed in the future about whether they regret their actions, I'm sure some won't.
I also heard of one girl being asked why they'd smashed up the shops of business owners and her answer was to show the rich that they can do anything that they want! This obviously shows a complete lack of education to think that just because you may be a business owner that you are rich, with over 200,000 start up businesses each year it generally takes time to build a business and may not be profitable for some years and many people run businesses as a life style choice but a lot of businesses just don't make it. when I was running my electrical business from the hours I put in to what I earned, I was well below minimum wage and I did long hours.
So here's the thing, for some years now I've had a goal of creating an academy where kids will go to learn new skills or life skills, I believe this is a major downfall of schools today that other skills are taught over history, RE, languages etc. We really should be teaching personal development and life values in schools along with work ethics, finance and economics. I once heard that programmes like X Factor had taught kids that if they wanted something NOW then they could have it, without working hard for it, I'd originally dismissed that thinking but now think there may have been some truth to it, however when they found they couldn't have 'fame and fortune' so fast became despondent. I also think that school holidays should be cut in order to fit in extra lessons, this will have the added effect of keeping kids from being 'bored' in the holidays, the parents can continue to work and the kids would be more geared up ready for working life from doing longer hours!
Back to the finance and economics thought, if this had been taught in schools from, at least when I was in school then perhaps we'd not be in the state the country or the world is in now as we'd have hopefully learned that the way we'd been spending and on credit was doomed to fail, I don't think we can blame greedy financial types for the economic situation but our lack of education on the subject (self education or in school), it would be interesting to see a test made up for basic financial education and then see the score of the population, I think it may be a poor result! (I include myself in this, however have learned the hard way from experience)
I think we are very lucky to be living here as it's one of the best countries in the world for the life we do get to live and choices that we have that many in the world don't have! we should be grateful for that.
So my final thing to say is, I'm not naive enough to think this is the only factor that needs to change or be improved in our country, or that it could happen over night but change is coming hopefully for the better and I hope this silliness has now ended for good.
To your success
Paul
PS I'd like to add that I think our emergency services did a fantastic job, as well as all those that went out for riotcleanup. It was good to see that side of humanity in a horrible time.
PPS also a well done to the policewoman who won £500 on Absolute radio and then gave it to the lady who'd worked in her fathers business for 15 years and now has no job and kids to support.
