"It's never pretty when they run out of other people's money" - London Burning

Historically London burned because of external enemies.  Now the inmates are tearing the place apart.  Wasn't social democracy supposed to calm these animal passions?  This is going to end badly everywhere.  People hate it when they are lied to about money.

Anthony Calabrese writes:

As an American in London, I am seeing it first hand. Your statement about the welfare state’s death convulsions are true — there is a small business owner on BBC news talking now about a restaurant of his getting trashed in Ealing, a rather nice part of West London. He noted that despite all the talk of this being a response to poverty, the looters are wearing designed tracksuits and communicating by I-Phones.

This family has had a furniture business in South London for 140 years. No longer — it is burning to the ground right now.

There even was a street fire in my neighbourhood of Notting Hill.

One difference from the US is that in London, there is much more mixing of socio-economic groups than in the US. So I think we may see a long night.