Plan B's Ill Manors; Wake Up, Get Angry.

I didn't know much about Plan B until I heard the above song - I was more likely to have associated it with a local nightclub in Bixton.

I happen to think it's the best thing that's happened to modern popular music in a long time. It shits all over materialistic wank that seems to stem from a lot of (popular) rap and hip-hop. It deals with class interaction, politics, and the way a whole swath of the British populace is being victimized and forgotten about. Or worse, misunderstood and hated.

Obviously it is highly controversial; "How can you support the London riots?!" "Why can't you all go work as slaves at poundland and get off the streets?!"

What I find disturbing about it all is firstly the conservative party's general lack of understanding or care for these people who turn to this kind of activity because they were judged and sentenced the moment they were born. Secondly is the labeling by those in positions of power of the lower classes.

Violent. Uneducated. Lazy. Parasitic. Yobs.

David Cameron overtly pursued a course of action that fought fire with fire. This isn't the action of someone who'd like to 'hug a Goldie's, in classic Eaton drivel. This is the action of someone who wants to make an enemy of the people.

I can think of another group of society that were rounded up and demonised; the Jews under the governing of the Nazi party. During a recession no less.

A melodramatic comparison? Probably. But it is one that makes my skin crawl nonetheless.

But underlying all of this, as the Guardian quite eloquently pointed out, is why the riots happened. For a few short days a forgotten minority of the population got to feel like they had power the only way they could: by rampaging through the streets in angry mobs, and it was terrible, and caused them more harm than good. But I can understand why they did it.

You see, modern democratic process allows us the illusion of choice, it pacifies many. When you sit back and think about it, we are as helpless and without hope as those on the estates, on a global scale. Hell, I'd go and riot too to help create a sense of panic, just to feel like I could get a reaction.

Someone got jailed for TALKING about organizing a riot, on facebook, is that not more than slightly wrong?

Things are not 'ok', locally or globally. And it's something people need to be more aware of on a global scale.

Music is a medium that communicates with all levels of society on an unparralelled level, I applaud Plan B's major contribution to this kind of political communication - a long standing tradition. I hope more comes. Fast.