WP: Looting Has Its Roots in the Chaos of Catastrophe

[liberalpragmatist]

Excellent, nuanced and balanced piece on looting that nicely doesn't adhere to either of the two extremes - either that all looters must be shot and killed and are stealing, plain and simple, or that looting isn't a problem and that all the looters are modern-day Robin Hoods.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/31/AR2005083102681.html

...

Benigno E. Aguirre of the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware has been watching and reading about looters in Louisiana. "It may look from the outside as if they are stealing or breaking the law," says Aguirre, "when in fact some of them are trying to survive."

On the other hand, he says, some of the thieves are garden-variety crooks. "There is always a very small number of people that are predisposed to crime, and they see a disaster as an opportunity to act."

There are the disenfranchised who jump at the chance to get even with those who have more stuff than they do. "Disasters can become opportunity for class warfare, and that kind of appropriation of other people's property should be prosecuted," he says,

There are looters, he says, but "people use the concept of looting without making distinctions."

Many may be people taking drastic measures required by drastic times. And some, he says, are the in-an-emergency equivalent of hunters/gatherers, foraging for food, fresh water, medicine, matches, batteries, everyday essentials that are just not available. Not at home, not at shelters.

(cont.)

[applegrove]

1. The Pentagon knows about looting. It choose not to do anything until

pushed.

[ElectroPrincess]

2. I'm waiting for Rumsfeld to come on TV and comment ...

words to the effect, "Isn't that the same guy running, over and over (repeated broadcasts) with that VASE, diapers, water, etc." :puke: