Meanwhile, others try to make excuses for vandalism by claiming the costs mostly fall on mega-corporations like Apple and Tesla. This isn't true.

And even if it were true, that doesn't make this okay, or even mitigate the offense.

Just to get all of my random thoughts out on this.

First, the media is complicit. Their favorite expression has become "mostly peaceful."

Second, this is an excuse for animals to act like animals. "Cool! George Floyd got killed! Let's go get free stuff! And beat people up who never thought, said or did us any harm! And destroy property!"

Meanwhile, others try to make excuses for vandalism by claiming the costs mostly fall on mega-corporations like Apple and Tesla. This isn't true.

Anyone saying that needs a lesson in economics. The costs don't fall on mega-corporations like Apple and Tesla, they fall on the customers of all corporations.

The customer pays for the higher insurance resulting from the looting; the customers of every entity that owns a store near the looting, whether it's a high-end store or simply a grocery store. And even if you're don't shop in that neighborhood, if the owner of your neighborhood store is paying higher insurance for a store in the looted neighborhood, you're gonna pay in higher prices to cover the company's increased cost for insurance.

A stable social order is conducive to a thriving economic life. Rioting, whatever the cause, destroys that stability and costs everybody in lowered economic activity, lower taxes and side benefits from that activity, and lowered property values in all neighborhoods.

Was no one paying attention to Detroit? We're letting the rioters turn the entire country into Detroit.

Here is a hypothetical scenario. You have a business that was just looted and destroyed. Maybe a liquor store or maybe a bodega. You've been humping this job for a while. It pays the bill and you have regulars that you've come to know. Now one day there is a riot in your neighborhood. You call the police but have a hard time getting through. You finally reach someone and they say sorry they don't have the resources. Suddenly there is spark and your life's work is up in smoke. But don't worry, you have insurance and amazingly enough it pays out without a hassle. Now you have a choice. You are getting up in years. Do you take that money and try to rebuild, now with much higher insurance rates or do you cash out and call it a day? Keep in mind you have no idea if this will happen again but know for certain the police won't help.

What would you do? I know what I would do and I know the history of a lot of places that had riots in the 70s.

I live in the Metro Detroit Area, and let me tell you, only now is Detroit starting to recover from the riots from 1967. No one wants to have a business that can possibly be looted and destroyed, no matter how good the insurance is. Even now, Detroit still isn't completely "safe" to have a business.

I have a high school friend whose father had a few of those plastics factories making parts of the auto industry.
About the time of the riots in the 60’s is when he bought a ranch in Wyoming and moved his entire family out of Michigan.

My friend eventually returned to the area, where they have a big mansion in a ritzy part of Grosse Point Park.

I wonder if she and family are about to make a return trip to Wyoming?

The last several days I've drawn parallels to Detroit, 1967. This applies to SanFran, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Writ large, as if you will.

Don't have to go back to Detroit if that's too taxing. How's Baltimore since Freddie Gray (2015)? ah, another shining example of progressive governance I see.

Do you take that money and try to rebuild, now with much higher insurance rates or do you cash out and call it a day?

Do I rebuild there? no. I might find a better neighborhood further out, or possibly buy a convenience store in a smaller town, or even further out from downtown.

If I'm close to retirement, I might just take the money and run. Head to a more favorable clime, as it were.

From what I have heard a lot of it is not covered by insurance -- categorically specifically not covered.

I looked at my homeowners insurance and it specifically excludes events such as rioting from coverage.

Interviews I saw on TV awhile back made it sound like there would not be a lot of help. I remember one interviewee saying $2000 of the stolen/looted/shop-lifted merchandise would be covered but it looked like the damage to the building and fixtures would not be covered.

The blame falls squarely on the Left who control most of these cities. They agree with rioting as a valid method. They agree with the message of the rioters and looters. They don't really care about black-owned businesses or minorities who will lose their jobs as businesses close. So they don't prosecute, don't arrest, file lesser charges (arson becomes disorderly conduct). Many of these politicians are calling for the end of prisons. So a murderer cannot be punished? Rape is ok? Good to know.
Per comments above, the worst hit areas in LA and Detroit in past riots never recovered. These people are burning their own houses down.

Forgot to add:
Let us say that you have tried all your life to not be racist. Never tell a racist joke or act rude, etc. Now you see helicopter footage on TV of repeated looting by blacks in Chicago (not hispanics by the way). You see BLM used as a slogan by rock throwing white kids in Portland. Might this not sour your attitude just a little, make you feel like telling them all to go stuff it? Setting race relations back one thrown rock at a time.

From what I have heard a lot of it is not covered by insurance -- categorically specifically not covered.

My parents owned a pharmacy that burnt down in the 70s. No riots or anything, just an accident. Even then they had to get a lawyer to negotiate their settlement and did not get the full amount of the policy. Insurance is in the business of not paying out.

From what I have heard a lot of it is not covered by insurance

It depends on the policy one purchases.

As a first order approximation, I will say that you're right and that almost all of the stores did not have coverage for "civil insurrection", riots and looting.

Walmart very likely does not carry such coverage. And the odds are exceptionally good that mom & pop shops didn't carry it, either.

Unless they renewed between 1 June and now. They may have added such coverage out of fear. If they did, they're still not going to get a check for several months, if not longer.

These people are burning their own houses down.

They're not from there. They're committing arson by burning down someone else's house & neighborhood.

Insurance is in the business of not paying out.

This true. If they can save even a few dollars off each settlement, that is still a lot of money.