Violence, global unrest and advanced capitalism: the case for the English riots of 2011

Abstract

Over the last five years or so, we have witnessed increasing forms of violence and unrest across the world. In the media, these depictions of violence are presented as actions of resistance to oppressive regimes and corrupt politics yet are, at the same time, deliberately detached from a global politik which is collapsing in numerous ways: the manifestations evident in market instability, and increasing austerity, unemployment and marginalisation; a sign perhaps that the orgy of globalisation is reaching its climax. Some of this was reflected in what we saw across English cities in 2011. In this paper, I discuss these riots – why they might have happened and the State response – but perhaps more importantly how they should be reconsidered as part of other forms of violence and dissatisfaction against oppressive regimes and corrupt politics as a collective response to a global system on the brink of collapse – in Europe, the Middle East, or Latin America – as a result of its neverending pursuit of rampant profit at the expense of millions of people.