Problem, reaction, solution - how it's playing out so far

Readers of this blog from outside the (dis)United Kingdom may be aware of street clashes between anti-immigration 'protesters' and the cops on the one hand, and on the other, the 'community defence' mobilisations in Muslim areas of some of our cities over the last week. Those of our readers in the UK will be only too well aware of the ongoing tensions as every news outlet is on it, and some of these readers may well have witnessed the disturbances at first hand where they live. In the space of a week, I've already written and published two posts on the situation: A warning from the past... 5.8.24 and: This is what a lack of trust looks like... 31.7.24. With no sign of the situation resolving itself and a number of indicators suggesting that it could escalate, it looks as though I'll have to be writing more posts about what's going on for the foreseeable future. I'm writing these posts to a) keep you updated with what's going on as best I can and b) to help clarify my understanding of just what the f**k is going on.

There's a growing list of countries issuing travel advisories for people wishing to visit the UK: More countries issue warnings against UK travel amid riots - Neil Lancefield | Independent | 6.8.24. These range from advice on avoiding areas where there's likely to be trouble to just don't come to the UK. For anyone outside the UK who uncritically watches the news media and/or uncritically follows social media, they're probably getting the impression that the whole of the country is sliding into chaos. While there are certainly hotspots where trouble has flared after some serious stirring, by and large, most of the country is still fine: Riot... or ruse? - Miri AF | Substack | 5.8.24. I hope these words don't come back to haunt me! If by chance anyone is concerned about our welfare, where we live in Keynsham between the cities of Bath and Bristol is, so far, pretty much okay. While it would be foolish to deny there's a serious problem, it's equally as foolish to jump onto social media to hype up the situation, spreading more fear and division.

There are elements who have a vested interest in spreading fear and division. Who are those elements you may well ask? They are those wishing to accelerate the agenda of the fourth industrial revolution a.k.a. the great reset. What they couldn't achieve during the Covid 'crisis', they're hoping to achieve with the ongoing tensions playing out on the streets. It's a case of those who presume to rule over us not letting a crisis go to waste, isn't it? One government advisor has already suggested that a Covid 'crisis' style lockdown/curfew may be the only way of 'calming' the situation: UK Government advisor calls for Covid-style controls against riots - James Billot | UnHerd | 3.8.24. Whether this was a serious suggestion or a kite flying exercise to gauge public reaction is a matter for debate. From the people I follow on social media, the reaction was, unsurprisingly, unanimously hostile. However, should the situation worsen, I wouldn't rule out the bastards trying to implement some kind of lockdown/curfew scenario.

What is happening is an accelerated court process alongside a swift transfer to prison for those found guilty: ‘Prison place waiting’ for far-right rioters, says justice minister - Geneva Abdul | The Guardian | 6.8.24. This comes just a few weeks after the announcement of the early release of a swathe of prisoners in a bid to free up cells: Justice secretary says thousands of prisoners will be released early 'to avert disaster' - video | 12.7.24. Coincidence? Planned? Given the increasing breakdown in trust between the populace and government, you can't really blame people for thinking that the whole scenario is planned. Planned to bring about a desired outcome. That outcome, after a period of disorder that leaves people begging for a 'solution', being a clampdown on free expression, the imposition of digital identity, and a host of other measures, all aimed at curtailing our freedoms while funnelling even more power and wealth upwards to those who presume to rule over us.

It really does feel like a case of 'problem, reaction, solution' doesn't it? I alluded to this scenario here: This is what a lack of trust looks like... 31.7.24.

It's the age old story of problem, reaction, solution. One example of this being the real and perceived concerns about the impact of high levels of immigration creating tensions that play out in clashes on the streets. That's the problem and the reaction. The solutions range from calls for digital ID so that the state knows exactly who is in the country, through to more authoritarian policing and onto a demand to clamp down on free expression online in order to stem the spread of misinformation. All solutions that the powers that be want in order to implement their great 'reset'. These solutions are being called for by people across and beyond the political spectrum.

What gets me and also, anyone who can think critically, are the number of people allowing themselves to be led onto the streets to participate in actions that are engineered to end up with clashes with the police and counter protesters, when they show up, further ratcheting up tensions, so that the aforementioned repressive measures can be imposed upon us. During the Covid 'crisis' in 2020 and 2021, I and many other people pointed out how the situation was being manipulated in order to justify a range of measures that would curtail our freedom. Sadly, it would seem that some of the people who were on the anti-lockdown/anti-vaccine mandate protests in 2021 have participated in the anti-immigrant protests, allowing themselves to directly fuel the tensions that will be used as a justification for a clampdown on our freedoms. It's as though nothing has been learnt by these people from the experience of 2020 and 2021. They're letting themselves get played to further the agendas of people who want to totally screw us over.

Also letting themselves get played are some of the squads of young Muslim lads appointing themselves as 'defenders' of their communities: Police investigate Birmingham unrest - live updates after hundreds gather in Bordesley Green - Birmingham Mail | 6.8.24. I was watching footage of that last night (5.8) and some of the scenes of intimidation and assault were pretty terrifying to be honest. However, social media being what it is, whether that told the full story of what happened is a matter of debate. There is this heart warming story to balance things out: Moment Birmingham Muslim activists make heartwarming gesture to scared pubgoers after violent attack - Jane Haynes | Birmingham Mail | 6.8.24. The point being that the young Muslim lads who were engaging in intimidatory behaviour are as much a part of the theatre of all this as were the so called 'patriots' attacking a hotel housing asylum seekers in Wath upon Dearne, between Rotherham and Barnsley in Yorkshire. Their behaviour, along with those of the 'patriots' on the other side of the divide, will be used as the justification for the inevitable clampdown on our freedoms. There are mugs on all sides allowing themselves to be played.

At the time of writing, we have an enhancement of the roll out of facial recognition technology, the promise of a 'standing army' of 6,000 riot cops and the threat of a clamp down on what can be expressed on social media...so far... My guess is that digital ID may come into the mix as a tool to enable the state to monitor ever more closely what we're up to, with the justification being that it's being deployed to keep tabs on illegal migrants. That most likely won't come until the ongoing wave of disorder has died down, and it will be offered as a sop to the 'patriots', a fair number of who may well see it as a price worth paying. After what may be an extended period of disorder, there will also be a lot of people who will see digital ID as something that will make them feel 'safer'.

So, from 'patriots' who want illegal immigration stopped by any means necessary through to those who just want to feel 'safe', even if it's just an illusion, it looks as though digital ID will be imposed upon us regardless. In part, that will be down to people on all sides allowing themselves to get played by taking to the streets, raising the tension, and ultimately, giving the powers that be the justification to further clamp down on our freedoms. It's probably too late but, if just some of the people contemplating taking to the streets could take a few steps back, look at the bigger picture, ask who will really benefit from the ratcheting up of the tension, and then decide to stay at home, we may start to find a way out of this mess without losing any more of our freedoms.