Ivan Smith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/ivan-smith/ Freelance journalist who has just returned to the UK after 10 years working as a sports writer and chief sub-editor in Australia. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ Home, to a nation of hooded thieves http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/home-to-a-nation-of-hooded-thieves/ This morning, my wife and I packed overnight bags and left East London for work, not knowing if the area would be safe enough to return to it in the evening. There is a 15-minute walk from the tube station to our house (right past the shiny new Olympic site…), and there’s every chance that walk could be filled with violence, rioters, muggers, police and burning buildings. Overreaction? No. Last night we watched in amazement on TV as several districts around us, then all around London – then all around the major cities of England, turned into arenas of chaos, violence and looting. And flames. News helicoptors flew from one enormous blaze to another, all night. England has seen nothing like this since Hitler was bombing us. From our lounge, we could hear the sirens all night. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ivan Smith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/home-to-a-nation-of-hooded-thieves/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/home-to-a-nation-of-hooded-thieves/#item6466 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:00:30 +0000 Ivan Smith | Author bios | The Punch