The London Riots: Idiots at large.

Over the weekend there was a rebellion in England.  Cops were injured, some were hospitalized.  Idiot kids were busting things up left and right.  You can tell in the video below from the look on their faces they were just having fun being destructive, and that was it.

The guys on Fox said that these kids want what their parents have without working.  Hey! Go out and get a job.  I’m sure the kids would say there are no jobs.  Personally, I think they need to spend some time reading (if they’re literate, though they don’t act like it) Orison Swett Marden’s books.  Maybe one of them, at least, might be inspired to actually get out there and do.

I want to share with you a piece from Marden’s book, “Pushing to the Front.”  You’ll find me quoting a lot from his books over the next month.  Marden lived from 1850 - 1924.  Take some time out to check out his inspiring mini-biography at Wikipedia.  It’s totally worth the read!  Anyway, here’s a piece from his book that I find totally appropriate to the situation in England:

"The trouble with us is that we are ever looking for a princely chance of acquiring riches, or fame, or worth.  We are dazzled by what Emerson calls the "shallow Americanism" of the day.  We are expecting mastery without apprenticeship, knowledge with study, and riches by credit.

Young men and women, why stand ye here all the day idle?  Was the land all occupied before you were born?  Has the earth ceased to yield it's increase?  Are the seats all taken?  the positions all filled? the chances all gone? Are the resources of your country fully developed?  Are the secrets of nature all mastered?  Is there no way in which you can utilize these passing moments to improve yourself or benefit others?  

Yes, Marden is talking about America, but London is no different.  The attitude that Marden mentions about young people basically thinking they should have whatever they want without work, without paying the price to get or achieve it hasn’t changed and is no different here or in England, and we saw the proof over the weekend.

The thing that interests me most about this book, is that it was published in 1911.  100 years ago!  It’s amazing how nothing has changed - and it proves my dad was wrong when he k’vetched throughout my entire youth that my generation was the laziness there’s ever been.  lol  No, life obviously never changes.  

Anyway, rather than stand out in the streets acting like idiots, they need to be home educating themselves, and search diligently for opportunities to work.  And if they see no opportunities available, or at least in their eyes available, then as Mardin says, “Don’t wait for your opportunity!  Make it!”

(By the way, you can get Mardin’s books for free by going to google and downloading them into your Kindle or download them onto Kindle PC, which is also free.)