The Moral Economy of the English Crowd in the Twenty-First Century.

The article discusses the motivations behind the London, England, riots of 2011, with a particular focus on the concept of moral economy. It references the essay "The Moral Economy of the English Crowd in the Eighteenth Century" by historian Edward Thompson. The authors draw parallels between Thompson's depictions of food-based riots in the 18th century and the looting of retail stores during the 2011 riots. It is suggested that many participants in the 2011 riots saw themselves as defending customary entitlements and were attacking predatory institutions. Other topics include neoliberalism, justice, and austerity policies.