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Author Topic:   Why Do People Steal?
Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 170 of 270 (642793)
12-01-2011 5:11 PM
Reply to: Message 168 by onifre
12-01-2011 3:21 PM


Re: Theft and Entitlement
Artemis writes:
So which is it: are you a blue collar hard working union guy, who hates upper middle class trustifarians?
Or
Are you a privileged guy who had well off parents?
I am both. My parents were not well off...we were solidly middle class, but by no means wealthy. There was a time in this once great country when one could work hard and even with no higher education be able to retire comfortably. That time has passed.
My gripe concerns people who tear the system down. Who are greedy and out only for themselves.
Onifre writes:
What about someone born into a shit life of drugs, violence and crime... Doesn't their shitty life start earn them the right to hustle for theirs?
And not pay taxes? Thats the least they could do is give something back so that those of us who are honest don't have to carry the burden of an enormous national debt and inevitable tax increases on our old backs.
Perhaps I am bitter. The way that I grew up, I should have made it in life. It was largely my own fault that I didn't. Drugs and addiction problems plagued me, and I only now am recovering from them. Perhaps that's why I hate drug dealers. (I also hate casinos, but that's another topic)
The labor union was a solution for me in 1989. I joined and found myself finally making better than minimum wages. As long as an employee was honest and reasonably ambitious, they would always have a job. This is no longer true.
Onifre writes:
You think because you follow certain bullshit laws you are more honest than them?
I pay taxes. I work hard for what I earn. I never steal, nor would I. I view thieves as parasites, and this host needs all of the blood it can keep.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 168 by onifre, posted 12-01-2011 3:21 PM onifre has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 171 by Artemis Entreri, posted 12-01-2011 5:40 PM Phat has replied
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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 172 of 270 (642796)
12-01-2011 5:54 PM
Reply to: Message 171 by Artemis Entreri
12-01-2011 5:40 PM


Re: Theft and Entitlement
We cant blame all of the baby boomers. My parents and my sister never stole from anyone. We have paid our fair share of taxes.
As this topic relates to stealing, how did the boomers steal?(Apart from the wealthier republican ones)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 171 by Artemis Entreri, posted 12-01-2011 5:40 PM Artemis Entreri has replied

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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 192 of 270 (643163)
12-05-2011 1:07 PM
Reply to: Message 190 by Artemis Entreri
12-05-2011 11:07 AM


Capitalism: Gotta love it
AE writes:
there is nothing evil about marketing to children. Parents still have to make choices, and still have to pay. The vast majority of food marketed to kids is nothing but sugar.
quote:
Marketing research
devises ever more sophisticated means of reaching the public and shaping people’s
preferences. This includes intensive advertising directed at young children. Lucy Hughes,
the director of strategy for the large communications management company, Initiative
Media, has done extensive research developing advertising strategies to exploit what she
calls the Nag Factor.2 The basic problem is simple: since children don’t have a lot of
money to spend themselves, how can advertisers get their parents to buy things for them?
The solution is to help cultivate the art of nagging by modeling effective nagging
behavior in advertisements. In an interview, Hughes reports that the way a child nags to
the parent will have an impact on whether or not the parent will buy the product.3 Her
research has demonstrated that anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of purchases
would not have occurred unless the children had nagged the parents.4 So, instead of
directing advertisements for children’s products mainly at parents, children are the
targeted and shown how to nag for good results.
And how is this not blatant exploitation of a child?
Edited by Phat, : fixed quote

This message is a reply to:
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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 193 of 270 (643164)
12-05-2011 1:09 PM
Reply to: Message 188 by onifre
12-03-2011 9:54 PM


I was high, officer. The twinkies jumped into my pocket
I saw that movie after you mentioned it! Amazing that a guy can be stoned and yet not paranoid in front of large crowds!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 188 by onifre, posted 12-03-2011 9:54 PM onifre has replied

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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 218 of 270 (643338)
12-06-2011 11:39 AM


Getting Ready For Topic Summation Mode
I started this topic to basically discuss the reasons that people steal and the ways in which they justify it.
quote:
I work in a large grocery store and am constantly amazed at how many people steal from us. Thieves transcend ethnic, age, and socioeconomic bounds, but I would say that the vast majority of them are poor.
Whats wrong with these people? Even if they believe that Robin Hood would do the same thing to corporate behemoths, they need to realize that some of us depend on our livelihood from these giant Corporations, and that they are essentially stealing from us.
Note: I am assuming for the sake of this topic that any of us at EvC could be secret shoplifters...so speak out as if you were one. Tell me what got inside your head that said that it was ok to steal?
In a sense, McDonald's could be said to "steal" from the American Public by offering us a time-saving though not-as-nutritious alternative which brings them a lot of money. Though they do steal from us by brainwashing our kids into nagging us to buy their products.
In summation, getting back to the grocery store that I work at, I feel that the corporate bosses exploit the labor. They could care less about us making a fair wage. They are beholden to themselves and the stockholders, yet labor has no special value for the company.
Hence, when we see customers steal, we feel as if they are essentially stealing from us since they steal from the bottom line which puts even more pressure on the corporation to reduce labor costs.

Replies to this message:
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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


(1)
Message 241 of 270 (735412)
08-13-2014 10:15 PM
Reply to: Message 239 by Tangle
12-09-2011 6:40 PM


Re: Some Facts
A couple came into the store the other night, whom we had caught--deterred from shoplifting before. She had the audacity to take items off the shelf(we had no photo proof,but saw the spots where the items used to be) and wanted to "rturn" them. He stole some expensive items from starbucks and went in to the bathroom with them, emerging with only his backpack. We are not security so we could not detain them. She appeared to be high on something such as amphetamine.
My point? Yes, we could be accused of profiling and no, we had no ironclad proof. Im not sure why I take it personally, but our store is on the verge of closing since we dont make enough money...and these people seem to me to be stealing from I myself. I would have them beaten if I could hire some thugs....thats how angry I feel towards them.

...."When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean neither more nor less."

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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 242 of 270 (735471)
08-16-2014 10:52 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by ringo
01-13-2008 5:47 PM


Employee Theft
ringo writes:
Does the "we" that does the estimating do their share of stealing too?
Im sure that some employees steal, but as far as I know, not many at my store---apart from a free fountain pop now and then.

...."When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean neither more nor less."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by ringo, posted 01-13-2008 5:47 PM ringo has replied

Replies to this message:
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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 244 of 270 (818403)
08-28-2017 8:17 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by ringo
01-13-2008 5:47 PM


Revisiting An Old Problem
I have been with the same chain now for 14 years, after getting my job back last December. They moved me to another store closer to the urban corridor of homeless people in town. I see a different sort of theft than I saw in the suburbs.
These people(the thieves, of all shapes sizes and backgrounds) brazenly come in, grab expensive items (to return later, presumably) and walk out the door!
It's not like people even have a conscience anymore. My original complaint still stands--I fear we have a problem with a national sense of entitlement at each others expense!

Chance as a real force is a myth. It has no basis in reality and no place in scientific inquiry. For science and philosophy to continue to advance in knowledge, chance must be demythologized once and for all. —RC Sproul
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." —Mark Twain "
~"If that's not sufficient for you go soak your head."~Faith
"as long as chance rules, God is an anachronism."~Arthur Koestler

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Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 263 of 270 (828427)
02-17-2018 4:21 PM


They All Need Punishment
Every day, we see at least one person stealing. Store policy prohibits us getting involved, so part of my frustration is directed at the store themselves...why allow $800.00 a day to walk out while at the same time cutting our wages and hours?
The second part of my anger is towards the thieves themselves. I wish there was a way to punish them!
If Only......
For some reason, the widespread acceptance of theft irritates me to the core! I could see it if someone were truly hungry and/or feeding their family...but there are food banks for that! There is simply no excuse for this miserable way of existence.

Chance as a real force is a myth. It has no basis in reality and no place in scientific inquiry. For science and philosophy to continue to advance in knowledge, chance must be demythologized once and for all. —RC Sproul
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." —Mark Twain "
~"If that's not sufficient for you go soak your head."~Faith
Paul was probably SO soaked in prayer nobody else has ever equaled him.~Faith

Replies to this message:
 Message 264 by Tangle, posted 02-17-2018 5:24 PM Phat has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18248
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 265 of 270 (828457)
02-18-2018 11:14 AM
Reply to: Message 264 by Tangle
02-17-2018 5:24 PM


Re: They All Need Punishment
Tangle writes:
I watched your videos and it was very obvious that every one of the thieves knew they were thieving AND that it was wrong. Otherwise, why run away?
But we do do it anyway. Criminologists tell us that crime is normal, whether we ourselves commit crime depends on a lot of social and personal influences; plus opportunity.
The point that I was making was that in the observations of myself and my co-workers, crime happens more often than many people suspect. The videos confirm my observation based on the subjects in the videos themselves---otherwise normal looking people (no stereotypes) acting out their supposed social and personal influences given the opportunity. This is what is outrageous in my mind. Otherwise average people, if given the opportunity, will steal to their little dark heart's content! How I wish that our store cared enough about the losses to prosecute these perps!
I feel as if the loss impacts me personally! Am I wrong to think this way?

Chance as a real force is a myth. It has no basis in reality and no place in scientific inquiry. For science and philosophy to continue to advance in knowledge, chance must be demythologized once and for all. —RC Sproul
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." —Mark Twain "
~"If that's not sufficient for you go soak your head."~Faith
Paul was probably SO soaked in prayer nobody else has ever equaled him.~Faith

This message is a reply to:
 Message 264 by Tangle, posted 02-17-2018 5:24 PM Tangle has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 266 by Tangle, posted 02-18-2018 12:45 PM Phat has not replied

  
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