As a local, I can confirm this
this is an accurate capture of the attitude of those who are currently rioting.
My high street is all smashed up and a lot of places have been closed. I can tell you that over the past ten years, I have grown up being surrounded by peers who have no respect for authority, or haven't been TAUGHT it by their parents. There is a phenomenon that I have witnessed in the local black community. When immigrant black mothers (not subsequent generation ones) have a baby, the father tends to do a runner. I can name at least two first-hand cases of this myself, and in all honesty I have no idea why this is, and will not even bother to pass a theory on it. One thing is certain of this, that it results in children growing up without a father figure, and thus no respect for authority. I've seen it in the way they interact with individuals like teachers and policemen. This is also another example of the very strong class divide in the UK. Accents and clothing plays a massive part in all of this (reporters have to dress up in hoodies to blend in etc)
This has been brewing up for past decade or so, I've sort of seen how the stereotypes have evolved, how the pieces have been set up before this explosion in violence. Kids are disillusioned, sure most of them are acting like tools, but they've had shit parenting. Anyone gonna blame
us as being the problem? Hell no, the media won't get any viewership/readership if it did. On the other hand, rioting represents a last resort. The UK government has ultimately failed.
I honestly don't know, but authority, whether government or parents, needs to put their foot down.
(Also,
this is pretty sad)