I grew up with this kind of low brow mentality. It's almost impossible to describe. A very feral existence compounded by the welfare state that keeps people in a limbo of poverty but with no need for work and self-sufficiency and community.
That's why you see people stealing TV's and not water and food. They want to upscale their lives, but cannot comprehend that in a few days they will be thirsty and starving because they think the safety net will be there.
It's going to be hard reality when they realize they are in a true survival situation. Then it will really get ugly.
Your post reminded me of a book I read a long time ago called Alas Babylon. It was about a nuclear holocaust and centered on a town in FL. Anyway, one of the characters stole some jewelry that had been contaminated by nuclear fallout. Here people were fighting for their lives and she was stealing jewelry....
susie