Many other people on this thread have compiled lists of "western" tragedies that did not come to looting, so I think calling it a cultural thing is out. I thin

Many other people on this thread have compiled lists of "western" tragedies that did not come to looting, so I think calling it a cultural thing is out. I think the difference is that when people believe the world is watching and that help is coming (ie September 11th, this earthquake) they maintain their composure. People destroy and loot when they feel that the world has forgotten them and that help is not coming. During Hurricane Katrina the government was quite slow to respond. In Haiti it took nearly two days to reach twitter/the public and trigger international relief. Almost nobody was there to hold them over until then, and chaos happened. I think this is quite rational: if you felt the world had ended and that it was not going to be made better, you'd probably act like an animal and only think of yourself too.