Speaking of justifying it, check out this report from NBC:
"Think about this: To cope with the violence, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson interrupted his family vacation in North America.
Prime Minister David Cameron returned from his vacation in a (shared) ten thousand pounds a week villa in Italy where he was reportedly taking tennis lessons with a coach flown out from Britain.
Home Secretary Theresa May cut short her vacation in Switzerland.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg returned from his vacation in France.
I was wondering as I watched, from a safe distance, a mob of young men, running, looting and throwing bottles, when the last time was that one of them had a vacation. Probably never. I thought, this is their vacation. It’s a break from their routine of hanging around street-corners. It’s fun, for them. They were laughing as police chased them."
Haaaaw, haaaaw, haaaw. NBC... supposes it's because these "young men" have never been "on holiday"... I thought living in the council estates bone idle was sort of one long holiday or, I suppose many working people in Britain have likewise never been "on holiday" yet, for some reason, still don't choose to smash windows for a new ipod and pair of trainers. My guess as to why they were laughing: they know the "bobbies" are so toothless that they won't fire a shot. You can't shoot the little darlings... it simply isn't done in civilized society. Yet how civil is civilized society for the last 3 nights?