looting after an event.

[bigpaul]

(17 August 2013, 11:39)Tartar Horde Wrote: The definition of what constitutes looting, and what the population perceive to be looting I believe are two sepperate issues.
If the population has been evacuated to safety with an outlook to returning to their homes and possessions, then anyone who steals/loots from those private properties should expect a lead lobotomy (in the States anyway) and a damn good thrashing over here.
My position is this, if the population has left due to whatever breakdown and has no chance or wish to return to their properties and I take advantage of this by acquiring their abandoned goods, am I a looter?

I have always thought that if the goods in question do not have an owner in residence, do not have a known owner, the owner is dead or is not coming back and therefore to all intents and purposes those said goods have been "Abandoned", then its not looting but SCAVENGING- i.e. making good use of something that someone else no longer wants or needs.