Jewelry and DVD players can be bartered for food, water and medicine plus they are much easier to carry.
In the jungle, the strong steal food, water and medicine from the weak. Furthermore, having valuable possessions only make you a target for other irrational looters who are stronger than you.
The barter system seldom works when lawlessness reigns.
"Jewelry and DVD players can be bartered for food, water and medicine plus they are much easier to carry."
Yeah, right. Who are they going to procure the bartered for items from?
Perhaps you haven't thought this through. In this situation food and water are more valuable than a DVD player. Whom do you imagine has a large, dry storehouse of food and medicine to be had in exchange for consumer electronics?
This is what makes the looting so sadly irrational. People spend tremendous energy not in trying to help others, but in gathering stuff that they will mostly have to abandon to the flood waters anyway. It's re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as it sinks.
SD