Today I'm reading that the National Guard killed 5-6 of about 8 armed men who were threatening the engineers who're trying to repair the levee. I do not understand what sort of morons would contemplate this, much less find 7 like-minded people and get to work on it.
Heh: "Mayor to feds: 'Get off your asses'" What gall! The mayor abandons tens of thousands of people to their fate by giving them no way to leave if they don't have their own means, and then passes the buck, knowing that the Feds have never managed below a 3-day response in history.
As I understand it, the desperate drug addicts are the big part of the violence problem. But that was days ago - when help would not come to New Orleans. And America saw the city as lawless - what do they really think would happen in a similar situation in Los Angeles??? Probably America thinks that New Orleans is the only place that has drug addicts now, they are so blind. The Mayor's point, I believe, was that drug addiction is a problem everywhere and that the average New Orleans resident is desperately waiting for help, for food, water, for rescue.
As for your guesses... I think lawbreakers who somehow prefer anarchy is close to the truth. The other half might be American citizens who trusted in their government and got nothing in return, and are now furious and looking for revenge.