Would you loot if your gov't collapsed or was liberated? OR When is looting ethical?

[Zkribbler]

I've experienced two periods of what can only be called anarchy and looting: a riot following a [dumb] judge's decision to give a Korean-American shopowner probation after she shot and killed an African-American teenage shoplifter and a city-wide riot following the Rodney-King-beating-trial acquitals.

During the first one, I stayed in my apartment and felt guilty because I didn't go out, brave the rioters, and try and protect the store of friends of mine [luckily, it wasn't touched, although other stores in the mall were looted and burned out].

During the King riots, I packed up and got out of town.

These two incidents left me with a great love for the police.

[August Borms]

Ofcourse I would loot. One of my characters in Ultima Online was named Lex Looter

[Spiffor]

Should the government collapse here, I don't think it will suddenly interrupt all food and water distribution, because those are largely independant of the gov.
A general climate of anarchy seems unlikely here, at least in the few days/weeks after the collapse of the regime. But should there be a general climate of anarchy, I'd protect my goods, because I have some. Had I no food, no water, and no goods, I'd probably go looting like everybody else.

[Boris Godunov]

How would one define "looting"?

Should the government and infrastructure of society collapse in such a way as to produce anarchy, I'd probably try to help organize people into a group that looked after each other and made it a priority to see that basic needs were met.

But if I was in a situation where I and my loved ones are, say, starving, would I "loot" food to feed us? Absolutely.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Looting is merely a form of redistributing wealth.

Let's just call it what it is and say theft.

[JCG]

I would try not to...unless my own survival was threatened, then looting for food or supplies would be sadly "necessary". However, I wouldn't loot furniture or PCs or other luxuries, that's just greed.

And still, I can't understand why some people would ever resort to looting hospitals, of all places...

EDIT: ...likewise, people who loot museums should be shot too.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Let's just call it what it is and say theft.

But would you steal food to feed your family?

[Kramerman]

I would probably try to loot some firearms and ammo at the very begining, adn then i would just defend my house and posessions... Perhaps sending some family members out on 'sorties' to "gather" canned goods and bottles water and batteries and other stuff that every survivalist already has stockpiled incase of such a scenario.

[Ben Kenobi]

Nope, I won't loot, monkspider.

Seems pretty clear to me that while ownership is disputed, at no point do I have a right to something that is not mine.

[Maniac]

I would loot the looters' houses.

[Zero]

Seems pretty clear to me that while ownership is disputed, at no point do I have a right to something that is not mine.

How the hell do you "own" something anyway?

Looting when your government collapses and looting your local bank right now is a same exact thing. However, I consider none of those things unethical.

The only difference I can see is that in one scenario one can claim and enforce their "ownership" (whether thru superiority in force or legal matters) while in the other they cannot

[Ben Kenobi]

Ownership means buying something with money you have earned or been given. Far different from looting.

[Az]

Why do you guys keep treating "would you do it?" and "is it just"? as the same? do you always do the right thing?

[Ben Kenobi]

I try...

The important question for me is the second one, is it ethical?

[Az]

In this instance, there are some segregated case where there is nothing wrong with it. By far and large, it's wrong. But I would probably loot the historical museum too. It's just a shame they made such a mess there. If you loot, be tidy about it.