Reply #1: "This represents a breakdown of society"

[JAbuchan08]

I agree, and I don't mean to be an apologist for looting, but I tend to place blame for the "breakdown of society" on the shoulders of those who should be maintaining order. I blame the poor disaster response/relief infrastructure and by extension the Bush administration, the Republican party platform and their "individuals before civilization" philosophy.
I won't praise the looters as heroes, but they're in an awfully tough situation and they are after all human so I won't blame them. Its not like the looters exist in a vacuum after all.