And this differs from, say, Liberia, exactly how?
This is not just a New Orleans thing, I'm afraid. There's a reason why the first -- FIRST! -- thought of some of these animals was to start looting. In Biloxi, the looters were out even as the storm was still blowing!
After this is all over, this nation has to do some very serious thinking about the psychotic culture that has been allowed to fester and spread in the inner cities. It has got to be stopped.
Shoot to kill these perps. Immediately along the Gulf.
You also have to believe that some of the people that didn't evacuate, didn't evacuate for a reason...they planned to loot after the the storm passed.
It seems the reporters are "a twitter" of being verbally anti-gun or anti-people owning guns.
Seems to me that if people were more in "polite society" (ala Heinlein) mode, the looting would be less likely because the "citizens" would not be so certain the criminal element is the armed element.