Well I think I saw that Malaysia had put a warning up to its citizens to avoid travelling here. And of course Elin Musk is suggesting we're on the brink of civil war.
Given what's going on in the rest of the world I would imagine it's hardly registering in some quarters, while others are probably scratching their heads and going 🤔.
I wonder if the rioters are being used AS an immigration deterrent? I mean, it's far fetched and vaguely tin foil hat but if the end result is people being too fearful to come here they will have won won't they?
And extrapolating from that, I wonder how they'll feel when the economy doesn't improve, in fact it worsens because a fair few people are going to want to leave I imagine, and they've ended up living in a police state because suddenly dissent of any sort is regarded as domestic terrorism.
We're going to be living in a permanent state of mistrust and tension between communities, and the lack of integration they complain about will just get worse - not that I think lack of integration is as big an issue as is often claimed by the thug contingent.
I worry most about teenagers at school. While many are of course inclusive and tolerant and will have little truck with all this, some will be loyal to their family's views and politics and it will give teachers already struggling another headache, especially if the diktat is to jump on any signs of radicalisation like a ton of bricks.
I know things weren't perfect before these riots and I may be catastrophising, but honestly, achieving cohesion and harmony of any sort might be a bloody uphill battle.
All of these things are why it worries me when people are dismissive of the potential impact of what's happening. Previous riots have been basically about one incident and usually reflect localised specific issues and are contained.
This is different. The event that sparked it was the most tenuous motivation. The speed of the misinformation was extremely suspicion. The riots are orchestrated and if there is any funding going on that's a huge concern. People like Farage et al are not going to look this gift horse in the mouth for their own personal and political gains, regardless of what they say in public. The "US and Them" army have already been encouraged and will possibly become emboldened. History has taught us a few lessons about this which we can't talk about openly for fear of being accused of hyperbole.
The plans to target immigration lawyers and centres means they are willing to target anyone they perceive as "guilty by association", which could end up with wider conflicts, because I sure as hell will go down fighting racism if I have to.
And there it is - I, a middle aged, unfit woman, "poor" by practical definition, am opposed to violence, but backed into a corner I'll come out swinging to defend myself and others. Which makes me just as bad?
I really hope I'm way off the mark and I read this back in 6 months and feel pretty silly. I really do.