Youth Unemployment, the UK Riots and The Jasmine Revolution

"The underlying causes of the rioting are difficult to say with certainty but one key fact must be considered: youth unemployment."

So writes Michael Goldfarb in GloblaPost via Salon.com

The Jasmine revolution, rapidly fading from the collective memory, started in Tunisia due to very similar circumstances.

Difficult to really compare these two sets of civil disturbance, yet it is an undeniable fact that you cannot keep not employing your young men, and then expect them to sit around and enjoy doing nothing.

see Why London exploded last night

Original Salon.com article image

Youth Demographics are the Key to the Dictator Revolutions

"Uganda’s population has grown from 15m in 1986 to 32m today, half under 16 years old. Youth unemployment is 80%."

From The Economist blog Baobab writing about President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda's 25th anniversary of power under the title of Rambo's 25th anniversary.

Any country with youth demographic statistics such as these and youth unemployment levels at similar levels needs to watch out.