On "Community"

Cristina Odone, writing for the Telegraph, reflects on the British media's frequent use of the term "community" when referring to the bands of rioters in London:

But isn’t the point of the London riots precisely the opposite: there is no such thing as community. At least, not among the residents of Tottenham. The broadcasters and the talking heads may try to paint a politically correct portrait of a united community that has come upon hard times (all fault of the cuts of course) and is now rent apart by violence; but it’s unconvincing. The young hoodies rushing across our screens, plasma screens under their arm, shiny trainers dangling from their hands, have no sense of wronging a community, because they’ve never felt they belonged to one in the first place. The neighbours and shopkeepers being forced out of their homes by the fires don’t feel they have any more in common with the urban terrorists than the shocked TV audience does. The chorus of disapproval that has gone up among residents during the weekend of rioting has been loud and strong: these are criminals, not brothers. They may live nearby, but these thieves and scoundrels do not belong to the community.