- published: 17 Jun 2007
- views: 192682
Looting, also referred to as sacking, ransacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging, is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as war,natural disaster, or rioting. The term is also used in a broader sense to describe egregious instances of theft and embezzlement, such as the "plundering" of private or public assets by governments. Looting is loosely distinguished from scavenging in terms of objects taken: scavenging implies taking of essential items such as food, water, shelter, or other material needed for survival while looting implies items not necessary for survival such as luxury goods, art work, precious metals or other assorted items of value to the looters. The proceeds of all these activities can be described as loot, plunder, spoils, or pillage.
Looting by a victorious army during war has been common practice throughout recorded history. For foot soldiers, it was viewed as a way to supplement their often meagre income and was part of the celebration of victory. On higher levels, the proud exhibition of loot was an integral part of the typical Roman triumph, and Genghis Khan was not unusual in proclaiming that the greatest happiness was "to vanquish your enemies... to rob them of their wealth..."
The battle field is your market place
Reinforcements for the front
You don’t care how long it takes
Just watch the body count
Spoils - spoils of war [x3]
Spoils of war
Decades go rolling by
Another war, another killing
Acquisitions mounting high
Now you’re the corporation
Spoils - spoils of war [x3]
Spoils of war
No country - spoils of war
Starving children - spoils of war
Disease and famine - spoils of war
Look at the consequences
Build the walls higher and higher
More tanks, more barbed wire
And when the walls come down
There’s always another Somalia
Spoils - spoils of war [x3]