Being disarmed renders one contemptible*

Field & Stream's Gun Nut blogger David E. Petzal explains the sad story of the disarmed citizens of the UK. BLUF: You can't defend yourself and the cops won't. 

"The mobs could break into any store they choose," notes Petzal, "serene in the knowledge that the police couldn’t stop them and that the odds they would be shot by an irate store owner were virtually nil. And the laws in Great Britain being what they are, any merchant who did treat a looter to a dose of shot would almost surely go to prison." 

Compare this sad outcome to the situation in neighborhoods where the local people rose and defended their property as best they could (albeit without firearms). They were passed over by the mobs. Like the cowards they are the mob fears a real fight and so they moved on to easier prey.

Niccolo Machiavelli

* Niccolo Machiavelli :"...[A]mong other evils caused by being disarmed, it renders you contemptible." Stated  here as some practical advice to medieval princes but a firm truth for us all nonetheless, eh?

What do people buy for urban self-defense & survival in a civilized country like the UK?

Obvious not firearms of any sort. Guns are illegal. So what then does the law-abiding Brit acquire to defend himself and his homestead? Popular Mechanics came up with a list of stuff from retail sales data from UK Amazon.com purchases following the recent UK rioting of last week. So what did the Brits buy?

Weaponry: Aluminum baseball bats, Kubotan key chains, and Tonfa police batons (since withdrawn from sale). Fire suppression and escape: Large size fire extinguishers and window mounted escape ladders. Deterrent: CCTV camera systems for outside viewing. Security: Key lock fire resistent home safes. Miscellancous: garden shears, cell phone chargers,

I understand all of the choices except for the garden shears. Maybe as a weapon? No idea.