Across the globe, large numbers of young people have been rapidly congregating in public places, overwhelming police attempts to maintain order. These youths have been burning, looting, and destroying property. And they have been robbing, assaulting, and injuring bystanders and police. During England’s summer riots, at least five people were murdered. The various attacks have, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "made uneasy the heads which rule nations"—be they heads of oppressive dictators or heads of democratically elected officials.
Indeed, authorities continue to energetically search in vain for methods to prevent future anarchy. The only thing surprising about the current disorders was the general failure of governments in England and the United States to perceive that the uprisings in the Arab world represented a game changer. The need to prepare for similar eruptions would soon be upon the democracies. The current mass demonstrations and arrests in New York City’s "Occupy Wall Street" protest are a clear signal that the United States may be about to experience an "American autumn" mirroring the Arab Spring.
