Greek Riots

[Andrew]

So a kid was shot and killed by police and so the country has riots.

Sounds to me the same thing that happened in France.

Here are some great pictures.

One of them shows a riot police officer completely covered in flames. They riot police should have shot and killed the protesters throwing molotov cocktails. But of course then more people would protest. Same for business owners. If I saw protesters burning down my store I'd stop them.

Any thoughts on the mob?

Should they be executed, or allowed to destroy property and attempt to kill riot police?

Apparently the government sucks. But don't they have elections?

Here is a frame by frame slideshow showing the cop burning. Riot police should have rushed them and then sent to prison for attempted murder.

I do find it funny how in Europe riots can happen very fast over 1 dead person, yet in north america many people can die and nothing happens. Or how the Fed reserve printed 1 trillion USD since September according to some analysts, and the bailout money has (or will) disappeared.

[Dunenewt]

Ah those continentals, always looking for some excuse not to work.

[SandChigger]

15-year-old kid out with some other hooligani after 9:00 PM ... what's wrong with that picture?

Demonstrating and protesting is one thing. Destroying public and private property and setting people on fire is another entirely.

Hose 'em down with HFCS! Mwa-ha-ha-ha! That'll fix 'em, gummy style.

Then debate them...dammed Theorists! ;)

[nemafakei]

"Should they be executed"

I note that the people who ask if the 'mob' should be executed are rarely the ones suggesting that the police should be executed whenever they kill or assault others.

"I do find it funny how in Europe riots can happen very fast over 1 dead person"

Well, that's the thing, the riots aren't just about one dead person. I'm still trying to find out more, but the murder seems to be the last straw rather than the creation of a movement out of nowhere. But yes, there does seem to be a lot more consciousness and organisation in Greece, France, etc. than in Britain, never mind the US. Parts of South America are a lot better off, though.

"Apparently the government sucks. But don't they have elections?"

Yeah, funny that. You'd think getting to stick a bit of paper in a box once every few years would be enough to turn governments benevolent.

[Egeides]

Well folks, it's the right country for a debate. With the practical problems also adding up to being lost on national scale, I think Greece and others might not know anymore where democracy lies exactly.

"Apparently the government sucks. But don't they have elections?"

Yeah, funny that. You'd think getting to stick a bit of paper in a box once every few years would be enough to turn governments benevolent.

In this situation, am I the only one thinking that the idea of democracy also entails the idea of "democratic population"? "You've now got a democracy.. if you can keep it." Tough debate to be had if protesters take violence as way of action (potential legitimate motives mixed with potential totalitarianism).

Especially with mixed cases, it pushes the limit of where there is demos-cratos and not.

[exatreide]

I'm actually quite happy this occurred.

Sometimes governments have to be kept in check by the people, the straw broke the camels back. Now the people are acting out as they should.

When a Government fails to be the will and servant of the people. It fails to be a government.

[Edric O]

So a kid was shot and killed by police and so the country has riots.

Sounds to me the same thing that happened in France.

The only thing in common between these Greek riots and the French riots is that they're both riots. The people doing the rioting are different. In France it was the poor, unemployed children of immigrants who were (and are) being marginalized by French society. In Greece, as far as I know, it's university students who know they won't be able to get jobs after graduation because of rampant corruption and nepotism.

The police killing of a random kid was just the spark that ignited the pre-existing barrel of gunpowder.

One of them shows a riot police officer completely covered in flames. They riot police should have shot and killed the protesters throwing molotov cocktails.

Yeah, cause killing people's kids is a great way to win popular support.

Same for business owners. If I saw protesters burning down my store I'd stop them.

Ummm, if I saw a large, angry mob of people burning down anything, I don't think running to "stop them" single handedly would be a very wise course of action.

Any thoughts on the mob?

Should they be executed, or allowed to destroy property and attempt to kill riot police?

Executed? EXECUTED? Since when do you support slaughtering people without a trial, Andrew?

Apparently the government sucks. But don't they have elections?

They do. And both of the major parties suck.

(on the other hand, the third one is quite nice ;) )

I do find it funny how in Europe riots can happen very fast over 1 dead person, yet in north america many people can die and nothing happens. Or how the Fed reserve printed 1 trillion USD since September according to some analysts, and the bailout money has (or will) disappeared.

Yes, that's a very good point. Why do you guys put up with that crap without rioting?

[Tatar Khan]

It is impossible to execute the rioters, there is too many of them. It is possible to use the tanks and live ammunition against them but than Greece doesn't have the capabilities to do so since it is not a totalitarian state.

Contrary to Europe in North America people are seems to be calmer, we do not create a riot when our hockey team loses or wins as the Europeans tend to do with soccer teams. North Americans tend to more protest but not violently riot, we are less active in terms of politics as the change of leadership doesn't really affects us that much to really go crazy about it. Than again the coverage coming from Europe could be building a false image.

[Egeides]

I'm actually quite happy this occurred.

Sometimes governments have to be kept in check by the people, the straw broke the camels back. Now the people are acting out as they should.

When a Government fails to be the will and servant of the people. It fails to be a government.

I've only heard that it's reputed as corrupt, so I wouldn't be surprised if better meant different - I vaguely recall even their head of state mentioning it. But I have my doubts with automatically thinking that what opposes has to be better than what it denounces. Your post seems to have a dose of that. Isn't this like freely given empty promises?

Otherwise, if critiques were automatically better actors/rulers, the best rulers would be those who speak the most and those who use arms first.

[Dante]

Contrary to Europe in North America people are seems to be calmer...

Read "politically apathetic." Except when it comes to gun control, abortion, gay rights or a remote possibility of taxes rising.

And you have a history of revering your heads of state, while Europe has historically feared, loathed, tolerated or executed its leaders.

Hmm. Maybe to a lesser extent in Canada. I don't actually know much about Canadian leaders at all. They seem a bit like ours.

As for the riots, I'm inclined to agree with Ex. If the people aren't happy, the government is doing something wrong. If the people are rioting, it's doing something seriously wrong.

[chatfsh]

I do find it funny how in Europe riots can happen very fast over 1 dead person, yet in north america many people can die and nothing happens.

Generally speaking, Americans are rather apathetic toward the suffering of others who aren

[Andrew]

I was a bit overboard and possibly sarcastic with the executed part. But they should definitely be charged with assault and possibly attempted murder for setting police officers on fire. If I tried to do that here I'd be shot in self defence.

As for protesters burning down buildings, do they check the buildings out to make sure they are empty? What if someone was living upstairs above a business?

[Tatar Khan]

As for protesters burning down buildings, do they check the buildings out to make sure they are empty? What if someone was living upstairs above a business?

I don't think they would check.

An example for Canada would be the taser incidents when there was trouble in the Montreal and the demonstrations on Parliament Hill, however demonstrators did not decide to go burn something down, they were showing discontent without breaking the law at the same time.

Ir is possible to look at it from this point of view that the true politically minded people would not riot but protest since the riots actually give a more negative impression, cause the message get less effective as there is more focus on violence. Plus when rioters start to rob businesses people are not trying to send a message they just trying to steal something (selfishly enriching themselves). By burning cars and businesses the rioters are not hurting the government but just business owners and car owners and insurance companies.