Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran
I thought looting was not just expected or tolerated, but a known reward for victorious armies.
Taking stuff that's "just lying there" is so enticing that we have entrapment laws to stop police from employing it to "create criminals".
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It would depend on the rules of a given army. Our army today is to be honest rather prudish about it. Enemy governmental or paragovernmental facilities would seem to be a legitimate target(Easy Company getting drunk on the cellers of Nazi VIPs palaces, Merry and Pippin stealing Saruman's pipeweed, etc, and of course the cliche "my grandfather's luger"). There are several things wrong with looting though. With local civilians leaving them alone is a matter of basic humanitarianism and professionalism. Furthermore, if they are in a conquered country the occupiers have made what amounts to a treaty with the populace to treat them as human beings if they give no resistance. Looting the populace is therefore dishonorable aside from being likely to provoke partisan resistance whereas looting designated targets is different.
Another objection to permitting looting is that it distracts from campaign. For instance a rigorous pursuit may be made impossible if to many troops are bled off by opportunity to loot.