Interesting discussion on the Today programme this morning in which Lindsay Johns suggested that linguistics might have contributed to the riots.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9568000/9568228.stm

This is an area that interests me a lot.

There has long been a view that language influences thought.  If the words do not exist to describe a thing (the colour yellow for instance) how are you able to conceptualise and express the thoughts you have about that thing?  As languages become more subtle, the ability to manipulate them becomes more multifarious.