The rioting in London continues and is spreading throughout Britain. (The BBC online is the best source of up-to-date information.) Doubtful if these brooms can clean up all the broken glass in London or do anything about the torched shops and cars, but what looks to be largely young people with brooms raised as weapons is pretty great political theater and symbolically wrests a little power back from the rioters.
And while we are on the topic of cleaning up, the Wisconsin recall election happens today, in response to the controversial budget priorities of Gov. Scott Walker, including the elimination of collective bargaining for public employees. The political theater of the takeover of the statehouse in Februrary was breathtaking in its contrast to the national narrative, i.e., it's the Tea Party that is supposedly representing angry "average" folks. There is a ton of video of the demonstrations, but the firefighters (who were exempt Walker's collective bargaining crackdown) who showed up in support of the other public employees camped out at the Wisconsin capitol armed with bagpipes is the most soul-stirring. There is nothing like bagpipes to up the emotional ante.
Update: Incredible slide/video show from New York Magazine.
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