I have to say I’m pretty impressed. The debut episode had some of the most controversial figures on various issues, which really helps set the tone for the show going forward. That said, it’s not without its issues.
Having been critical of Michael Coren previously for his jabs at Sarah Palin and her supporters, I wasn’t impressed by his assertion that Palin’s following is similar to the cult-like following those like Barack Obama have. I was also not impressed with Ann Coulter comparing Palin’s followers to those of Ron Paul, followers who, in my opinion, are very similar in their blind loyalty to Obama’s supporters. Considering Coulter’s loyalty to Chris Christie, despite his ever growing list of political faults, it’s almost like the kettle calling the pot black. Truthfully, I’m an adamant supporter of Sarah Palin, and while I would like to see her in the race for Republican presidential nominee, my fear is that she may split the conservative vote between her and Rick Perry to the point where a non-conservative like Mitt Romney gets the nomination.
Another gripe I had is Coren’s relentless questioning of Tarek Fatah on the foundations of his religious beliefs. I understand that Tarek and others like him follow a “moderate Islam” which rejects Mohammed’s teachings of violent jihad and hatred towards non-Muslims, so what’s the point in hounding him on aspects of his faith he doesn’t subscribe to? Considering Tarek had just won his battle with cancer and it appeared to be rather frail, I found it troubling to watch Coren go after him like this.
In any event, I will keep watching this show. In my opinion, ‘The Arena’ is much better than ‘The Michael Coren Show’. I prefer this format because it allows Michael Coren to discuss various issues, really get to the heart of them without being constantly interrupted by twits like Maureen Meed Ward who demand a strict adherence to political correctness. Well done.
In the wake of the London riots, many on the left have begun pushing nonsense about how the rioters are poor, uneducated and excluded from society. They want others to believe that these criminals were somehow created by government policies which favour other wealthier segments of society. The problem is that the facts don’t support this fiction. Thanks to the Daily Mail, most of these myths have been debunked through a number of well-researched and well-written articles. Now I could spend a few blog post discussing my thoughts on these riots, but instead let’s focus on two myths in particular, how the riots started and who’s rioting and why.
Myth #1: Police brutality and government repression brought about the riots. The first question that most people ask when discussing a riot is what set it off. What was the inciting action that brought about all this destruction and anarchy? In this case, the death of Mark Duggan at the hands of police in Tottenham. According to various media outlets, Duggan was the victim of police brutality, that this young man, this “29-year-old father” hadn’t done anything to inciting the response by these police officers that ended his life. This is utter nonsense. Duggan wasn’t a victim, but a victimizer, a criminal with a lengthy record. Not only this, but he was the nephew of the late Desmond Noonan, a high ranking figure in Manchester criminal underworld. You don’t have to take my word for it though, here’s the story from the Daily Mail’s David Williams.
The suspected gangster whose death sparked the nationwide riots was the nephew of a notorious crime boss who boasted his gang had ‘more guns than the police’.
It emerged yesterday that Mark Duggan’s uncle was the late Desmond ‘Dessie’ Noonan, whose feared family are ‘major players’ in Manchester’s underworld.
And in a further indication of Duggan’s gangland links, investigators said yesterday that at the time of his death he had a fully-loaded Italian-made handgun wrapped in a sock…
..The emerging picture of Duggan, 29, is at odds with his portrayal by friends and family as an innocent victim, quiet family man and respected member of the community.
He was shot dead by a police marksman in Tottenham, north London, nine days ago. He had been stopped by undercover officers as he travelled in a minicab and confronted because they believed he was on his way to ‘use the weapon’…
That doesn’t sound like an innocent victim to me. Aside from his criminal history, it should be noted that, according to the official report, Duggan was shot because he pointed his weapon at the officers who confronted him. Knowing this, I don’t see how the police could have responded differently in that situation. These facts, however, aren’t as appealing to the left as the fiction that this was another example of police brutality. They would rather believe that this inciting incident was some kind of grand injustice against the less fortunate in society, if only to excuse the action of the rioters.
Myth #2: The rioters are the less fortunate members of society lashing out against those who are oppressing them. This is Marxist inspired fiction which not only excuses the actions of the rioters, but actually encourages these kinds of actions. What we are seeing on the streets of London, for the most part, as groups of spoiled youth who believe that they won’t be punished for their actions because they can blame society for their criminal behaviour. Why would they when this narrative gives them ‘carte blanche’? The Daily Mail has two articles (here and here) proving that this Marxist myth isn’t grounded in reality.
…THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL GIRL:
Millionaire’s daughter Laura Johnson, 19, was charged with stealing £5,000-worth of electronic goods, including a Toshiba TV, Goodmans TV, microwave and mobile phones…
…THE SOCIAL WORKER STUDENT:
University graduate Natasha Reid, 24, came from a comfortable family home and studied at university to achieve her dream of becoming a social worker…
…THE ASPIRING MUSICIAN:
Stefan Hoyle was clutching a looted violin when he was arrested in the aftermath of riots in Manchester…
…THE BALLERINA:
An aspiring ballerina was arrested after police published images of her looting two boxed flat screen TVs from a hi-fi store where £190,000 of damage was caused…
Here’s a quote from the second article.
…Young and attractive, they hardly conform to the identikit image of the violent looter.
But the 22-year-old model and two teenage girls pictured here were among those arrested in the riots.
The model, Shonola Smith, wept yesterday as she was jailed for six months for looting an Argos store in Croydon…
I understand that many of those rioting could actually be less fortunate people who believe that they are lashing out against their oppressors, but that doesn’t mean that they represent the majority of rioters, or that their actions are justified by their socio-economic status.
Having debunked these myths, there are a few questions that must be asked. Why is this happening? Why haven’t the police restored order yet? I think Pat Condell answered these questions best.
The facts of the London riots aren’t being reported. Instead of really examining the root causes, those with a political agenda will use this tragedy to push it. The United Kingdom, not simply London and the surrounding cities and townships, is facing serious social and political problems and it’s about time that they at least admit what the problems are, let alone deal with them. Simply put, these riots are just one of the symptoms of the problems the country is facing. The media is only making matters worse by ignoring the truth and pushing these unsupported myths.
