I was pondering the recent riots in London. The British media agreed that the random looting of sporting goods and electronics stores was not an indication of deeper discontent born of poverty, social exclusion, or poor education.
Some of those arrested were middle class or upper middle class young people who took the opportunity to commit crimes, burning and looting, thumping their noses at authority, knowing that the police would be slow to respond or not respond at all. The law is lax and police do not carry guns.
