Do you think that the stores are promoting this "after the game" sort of free for all with a purpose in mind?
Nothing sinister IMO; they're trying to make an honest buck on volume via a technique that brings 'em in in droves. I agree however with the post here that the combination of deep discounts and "limited quantities" is borderline morally (it's almost a lie IMO to put something in an ad that applies to only 20 or 30 people out of 1000. I have no problem with the car dealers' "one at this price" strategy because the comparison to the number of potential buyers is far smaller) even though it's well within legal bounds and is a practice long known by general buying public. But it has unwittingly (but less unwittingly with each passing year and incident) contributed to the flared-nostril kill-or-be-killed mentality.
But no, I still put the primary blame on the shoppers / combatants. We see every day in many ways that we really are becoming a more savage society. A tip of the hat to Post 51 which sums it up very nicely both in general terms and with specifics.
Nope. The DOD set this up as a message to Al Queda, North Korea, and Chavez. You do NOT want to entertain thoughts of ever invading the USA.