We will also pay the price for public cutbacks

WE should not be surprised at the scenes of mayhem in London and other British cities.

After 30 years of Thatcherite monetarist policies, supported by a self-serving narrative from the right-wing media, we see the results in a disaffected, dysfunctional, disconnected generation of thugs.

As we pursue similar policies of cutbacks in public services here, ranging from cutting recruitment to the gardaí to larger classroom numbers and subsidies to community services, in order to pay for private debts, will we, too, be surprised when we reap the whirlwind of disaffection in our cities?