What you're fighting for

All this crap that's going on in London at the moment is just disgusting. Sky News were showing one building burning down all of last night and for the first few hours at least there was no-one there to stop it, not one solitary policeman. They were too busy being outnumbered 10 to 1 by the thugs on the street, completely helpless because all the have to defend themselves are a shield and a baton. And yet the sort of things that they are being attacked with are bricks, roads signs, fire bombs whatever. 

They need more power. People say that if the police fight back, violence with violence,  they are just as bad. But they're not, surely the BIG difference if they are fighting to defend the livelihoods and protect the people. The thugs aren't, they just show mindless violence, no purpose to it, purely because they can; they've realised how powerless the police are to do anything and they are flaunting it.

Look back over history - what good would it have been if pre-World War II the army just surrounded Britain with some plastic shields and weren't allowed to use gun fire or attack - the Nazis would have won.

When do you ever see superheroes in comics sit back and defend? They don't, they get out there and do something. You don't see Superman standing by the bad guys telling them "I'm very shocked, you will suffer consequences of your actions" and then expecting them to stop. And what would have happened in Batman if he'd stopped for a minute to worry about the Joker's human rights?

The Doctor doesn't go barging in killing every alien that wrongs him, he gives them a chance, he tries to talk to them and if they don't listen - no second chances. 

Slightly different but the principles are the same. People don't rob and lot shops because they're ignorant of the law, they know full well its wrong and they carry on doing it. Asking them to stop won't change their minds, "Oh sorry, I didn't realise burning buildings is bad, my mistake."

As soon as you ignore another persons human rights you forfeit yours - simple as that, and you deserve whatever comes your way.

Obviously fire plus fire is going to equal a much bigger fire, but fighting fire with nothing and waiting won't stop it. And there's no good pouring water on a pile of ashes.