Why does it have to come down to everyone wanting to shoot each other in a riot? The London riots have shown that a full scale riots can take place without it turning into a mass casualty event. Personal possessions and property can be replaced (that's why there are insurance companies), but people full of bullet holes are somewhat more difficult to replace and the cost to the UK National Health Service patching up the wounded would also be quite high.

I really can't imagine what is going to happen when the same austerity measures take hold in the US and inevitable rioting breaks out across all the cities throughout the USA.