Panic on the Streets of London, Panic of the Streets of Birmingham... And Nottingham... And Leeds

Egypt

Tunisia

Syria

These uprisings in the Middle East are representative of the reason I continue to cling to some hope for humanity. The belief that, unified by passion and solidarity, the masses can rise against oppressive government even in the face of unbelievable repression and violence.

The image of that protester in his improvised naan bread helmet for me encapsulates the reason why we should have belief in the integrity, fortitude and ingenuity of the common man.

Maybe we can have enough trust in people and their ability to self govern for anarchy to be a viable system of government.

Then something like this comes along and reminds me that an extraordinary amount of people are really just degenerate wankers!

The rioting that started in Tottenham and now threatens to engulf all major urban areas in England is born not from a desire for social change, nor (if we're honest) through moral outrage.

It's just a bunch of people jumping at an excuse to hurt people.

Is the death of Mark Duggan a tragedy?

Of course it is! Any loss of human life is tragic.

Could it have been avoided?

Probably! And yes, of course it should have.

Should the officer responsible be held accountable for their actions?

Absolutely and they should be answerable to the Police service and Mr Duggan's family.

They should not be answerable to an opportunistic mob who use a genuine tragedy as an excuse to commit unspeakable acts of violence and robbery.

In what bizarre parallel universe is nicking tellys and X Boxes appropriate retribution for manslaughter?

These people don't want to make a political statement, they just want to hurt people and while they're at it score a nice new LED television to watch Jeremy Kyle and play Grand Theft Auto on!

Of course there will be people who regard all police officers and their actions as inherently fascist. And the force with which they have been obliged to respond will no doubt reinforce that assertion. Others will reason that the police presence is there to protect the rioters from themselves.

All I can say is that I am friends with a number of police officers who are extremely moral, genuine and decent people who embody the values that Robert Peel founded the police force on.

Which is more than I can see for the opportunistic thugs who have the gall to disguise bare faced self serving criminal activity as an altruistic political statement.

I want to conclude by offering my sympathies to the people of Brixton, Wood Green, Ponders End, Enfield Town, and the affected areas of Nottingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol and Kent who are trying to live through or put an end to this nonsense.

And as for the people responsible. You are wasting the power of mass action. You make a mockery of British society. I hope you get a baton in the reproductive organs and a face full of CS gas.

And also that someone lobs a brick through the screen of your inevitably massive TV that you probably squander by watching shit like Fast and Furious and Transformers on.

I'm aware that I come across as a crotchety old git but the fact is I desperately want to believe that people are inherently good. I want to believe that people don't need government, that we have the faculties to be able to organise ourselves and help each other out.

And these utterly deplorable bellends are ruining it for all of us!