[madaxe_again]

I'm a total mongrel - pick a continent and I've ancestry there...

My point is big picture. Read up on the origin of the word "thugs", then try to understand Thugee history from a their viewpoint, rather than that of the British who exterminated them - and that alone hopefully illuminates where I'm coming from.

I agree that class is an element of this, but it is secondary to the broader issue of divergent cultural narrative, which is being driven by unending segregation and increasing isolation of social castes from each other. As America still has class divides along strongly racial lines, this conflates into a race issue which dates back to the triangle trade.

I suppose the basement issue here is dehumanisation. Power imbalances perpetuate it.

Just don't call them thugs. Rioters, sure. Pissed off, disillusioned people with no future to lose, sure. But don't call them thugs. You're buying into the destructive narrative by doing so.

[teammatters]

Huh? What do you call someone who disrespects the law that the majority follows(any skin color)? Poor babies they've had it rough they know fighting a cop/resisting arrest/stealing, etc is wrong .. it's ok they are just hopelessly disillusioned?

There is right and wrong in life. It is your choice to follow the law or completely disrespect/ignore it. Unfortunately, some residents of the ghetto choose to spit on the laws everyone else (asian, black, white, mulatto, etc) respects. No such issues are happening outside the ghetto.

[sobkas]

>Huh? What do you call someone who disrespects the law that the majority follows(any skin colour)?

A banker? A politician? How many people were killed for repeatedly destroying economy? None? They destroyed much more property than Baltimore rioters but somehow no one calls them "thugs"? You are only thug when you are poor or/and black. How can it be?

> There is right and wrong in life. It is your choice to follow the law or completely disrespect/ignore it.

In capitalism you are right when you have money and wrong when have none. To the point, that you are allowed to "completely disrespect/ignore it(law)". Law is not enforced to the same extent/in the same way on all people.

[teammatters]

I agree with you there ... Bernie Madoff is thug numero uno! As well as all those mafiaso ... either the rioters to Madoff to Al Capone all are thugs! THe definition of thug per Merriam is "A violent criminal."

There is right and wrong. It's your choice how you want to behave .... lawfully or unlawfully. Unlawfully you need to face the consequences and oh no you get label as a thug. What should they be called.. they chose wrong over right. They can choose to change and turn their lives around! Contribute to society positively.

There's good and evil and always will be. I don't understand why people want to spin those doing bad as it's not there fault and not label them the bad guy. Seems like those downvoting me want to coddle those who choose wrong over right. Love to understand why I am being downvoted.. for not wanting to take the side of the criminals???

Crazy world we live in ... where we are taking the sides of those who act unlawfully and criminally?