I have found that the media reaction, with its lurch into espousing right-wing authoritarianism is far more disturbing than the extreme consumerism we all witnessed over the past 5 days.

The BBC has been heavily promoting the e-petition that says 'take away benefits from rioters' . Other mainstream media is reporting that councils should evict tenants convicted of looting.

Doesn't anyone even think through the consequences of these knee-jerk reactions?  Because if these idle notions of vengeance are ever carried through - the result would make what we've seen recently in our cities recently seem relatively tame.

The hypocrisy of those calling for looters to be shot on sight, and there are plenty with this view, is astonishing. Attempting to solve problems by taking a gun to them is exactly the mentality of the gang member.

Our bankers in the City have been indulging in smash and grab raids as have our politicians in places like Iraq and Libya - what sort of role models do they think they are?

The police are paying for the lies they came out with regarding the murder of Jean-Charles de Menenzes and amongst others. A protest demanding answers was ignored and the beating of a young girl by the police in front of those seeking answers (the video of which has been removed from all mainstream media and not mentioned again) was the spark that lit this tinderbox. The police have either been tactically naive or deliberately provocative.

The most depressing thing about all of this is that it gives ammunition to those that seek increasing authoritarianism, right-wing hate groups, those who'd like to see a police state advanced and armchair fascists everywhere.