Blame the Government?

The BBC reports that, amongst other things, robbery with knives is up 18%. There is some discussion of our economic woes causing an increase in crime, as people struggle to make ends meet. Many commentators blame the government, but it seems to me that the government can't be blamed for "bad eggs", but can be encouraged to do something about them. I hope that Interactive Democracy will help create an involved society in which we all feel some responsibility for society.