First the Arab Spring - now the European Summer?
Violent riots continued for the third straight day across London and a number of other British cities – leaving buildings ablaze – cars torched and turned over – and storefronts vandalized and looted. The riots began in Tottenham after police shot a man to death – but it quickly became clear that the unrest was less about police brutality – and more about Conservative austerity.
Some of the cities hit hardest by Conservative government’s deep spending cuts – are now fueling the worst riots the UK has seen since the 1980’s – prompting the man responsible for those cuts – Prime Minister David Cameron to rush back from a trip to Italy for a meeting with his national crisis committee. He’s also recalled Parliament from its summer recess – and tripled the number of police on the streets.
First Greece – now the UK – what we’re seeing unfold in Europe today is the harsh backlash of poor and working people against governments that bailed out banksters, cut taxes for billionaires, and are now cutting services to average working people and the poor.
And like Hosni Mubarak – these bankster governments are now losing their consent to govern. Is Washington paying attention?