It is no accident that the troubles in London and many of our major cities are taking place in the context of the North Atlantic economic crisis. The two stories competed for our attention on this morning's news, and when I tuned in first thing this morning to hear a voice claiming that "This is a failure of the system, a failure of the political class", I assumed that the speaker was a community activist from one of our more disadvanted boroughs.
It wasn't. It was a banker, discussing the economy.
But the fact is, there is a failure of the system, a failure of the political class, which is far more important and far more fundamental than the volatility of the markets. The system and the political class has failed huge numbers of young people, black and white. In Tottenham, there are more than 50 applicants for every advertised job, but the 10,000 or more existing on unemployment benefit are nonetheless targetted each day by companies exhorting them to carry the right phone, wear the right trainers, watch the right TVs, and embrace the spectacle of the consumer society. That is why, although it is heart-breaking to watch the destruction of these communities, to call it 'mindless violence' is to miss the point totally.
It is mindful violence. Those on the streets are going for expensive trainers, smart phones, plasma-screen TVs, Louis Vuitton luggage. They know what they are doing. They know what they have not and what they must have.
This is the reality of the Big Society. And there is something iconic in the image of Cameron and Johnson flying back from Tuscany and New York to 'take charge of the situation'.
Since the coalition came to power, and announced that "we are all in this together", the fortunes of the richest 1000 people in the UK have increased by more than 30% to £335 billion. The richest 10% are now one hundred times better off than the poorest 10%. The underclass is growing inexorably.
It is this increasing inequality that must be addressed. Because whatever measures the political class introduces to restore calm to the streets of our cities, until this fundamental failure of the system is sorted, it will only be the calm before yet another storm.
Today's listening: BBC News 24.
It wasn't. It was a banker, discussing the economy.
But the fact is, there is a failure of the system, a failure of the political class, which is far more important and far more fundamental than the volatility of the markets. The system and the political class has failed huge numbers of young people, black and white. In Tottenham, there are more than 50 applicants for every advertised job, but the 10,000 or more existing on unemployment benefit are nonetheless targetted each day by companies exhorting them to carry the right phone, wear the right trainers, watch the right TVs, and embrace the spectacle of the consumer society. That is why, although it is heart-breaking to watch the destruction of these communities, to call it 'mindless violence' is to miss the point totally.
It is mindful violence. Those on the streets are going for expensive trainers, smart phones, plasma-screen TVs, Louis Vuitton luggage. They know what they are doing. They know what they have not and what they must have.
This is the reality of the Big Society. And there is something iconic in the image of Cameron and Johnson flying back from Tuscany and New York to 'take charge of the situation'.
Since the coalition came to power, and announced that "we are all in this together", the fortunes of the richest 1000 people in the UK have increased by more than 30% to £335 billion. The richest 10% are now one hundred times better off than the poorest 10%. The underclass is growing inexorably.
It is this increasing inequality that must be addressed. Because whatever measures the political class introduces to restore calm to the streets of our cities, until this fundamental failure of the system is sorted, it will only be the calm before yet another storm.
Today's listening: BBC News 24.
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