If your think about it; most Americans are simply coasting through life under the protection of the U.S. Military by and large. Most have NEVER known REAL hardships or even seen real hardships outside some show they watched on discovery or history channel (if that didn't get in the way of American Idol).
I'd wager 70% of this country is only nine meals away from complete anarchy.
If the U.S. Government and command and control of the U.S. infrastructure were wholly taken out, we would lose 50% of our population to starvation within six weeks; that is of course if we are still the United States following such a melee.
I agree with you on the nine meals metaphor.
I would suspect that not matter who, the average person could be turned into a cold-blooded no-regrets killer in 24 to 72 hours, given the right circumstances.
A man or woman can be hungry.
But most would not sit idly by and watch their children starve or worse.