BiggerPockets

...but just in case:

Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/

Ariz. police say they are prepared as War College warns military must prep for unrest; IMF warns of economic riots
http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/12/15/daily34.html

I agree that this is disturbing news but absolutely to be expected.
The world economy is in a shambles and whether you put the blame on our industry, lack of government regulation, the not so federal Federal Reserve or alien visitors... the results are clearly going to be far reaching and long lasting.
I choose not to fear the future but to look for niches of growth and a haven for thinkers of all brands.

In this "world's worst"economy I find many new opportunities and I am exploiting two with much success. The world of short sales, which will be short lived, and the internet which will certainly endure.
If you haven't seen former Wired magazine editor Kevin Kelley explain the next 5000 days of the internet then you should. He gave his talk in 2007 and I already am observing far reaching effects that he brought up in his talks.
With chaos comes the opportunity to exploit the weakness of social and financial barriers that are temporarily withdrawn. (Ten years of chaos might not seem so temporary looking forward at it but it will look temporary after its gone)
People are walking away from valuable assets because they have lost faith in the ability to prosper or even make a living in some cases.
The banks with piles of cash are gobbling up the assets of former competitors while at the same time "writing down" the bad debt. What a bonanza that will be for the players left standing. All that wealth so recently created being gobbled up by a very few survivors.
People who don't see the silver lining and instead just dwell on the misery, are likely to either commit suicide or riot.

If they riot, then the army may be the only thing that stops them.
Still I am glad I don't live next to the riot police that have tanks and artillery, at least not yet.....

I suppose it's best to hope for the best and plan for the worst.
Recall the British economy in 1980. Civil unrest occurred, but it was mostly confined to peaceful protest. The violence during that time was mostly confined to matters concerning the IRA.
Japan's GDP peaked in 1995, and Japan fell into a decade long recession. I don't recall any violent civil unrest from this crisis.
The German economy suffered hyperinflation in the early 1920's, which was primarily triggered by excessive financial obligations to other countries (sound familiar?). The civil unrest which ensued was mostly peaceful. I suppose you could point to the rise of Hitler, but this seems to me to be a coup and a rise to power, typical of power shifts, and not really widespread civil violence due to deteriorating economic conditions. I might add that Germany's answer to hyperinflation was to introduce a new currency secured by real estate.
Even the Chinese, who have seen quite a bit of social unrest in the last 15 years, have primarily contained this behavior to protests and demonstrations. But is this tension due to grievances concerning economics or government corruption?
If we really have "Change we can believe in", then widespread rioting and violent civil unrest seems unlikely. I'm not being partisan here, I don't care which party is in power, I simply believe that we must remain vigilant regarding tyrannical fascist agendas in the American government. We are very vulnerable right now. I also think that times of turmoil provide the perfect opportunity to take freedom away from the people.
I absolutely agree with William; the blame or condition is far less relevant than the plan of action. This economy is opening new doors of opportunity by the day for people who are looking.
Here are some of my personal favorites:
'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'
Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson
America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.
Alexis de Tocqueville