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Author Topic:   Why Do People Steal?
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 11 of 270 (448488)
01-13-2008 7:30 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Phat
01-13-2008 4:55 PM


Why are people poor?
Phat writes:
The store I work at loses $300.00 a day, and we estimate that its probably a core group of 30 people or so that steal most of it. I can't wait until they get caught!
Inspector Javert, I presume?

Real things always push back.
-William James
Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
---------------------------------------

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Phat, posted 01-13-2008 4:55 PM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 17 by Phat, posted 01-14-2008 2:40 AM Omnivorous has replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 22 of 270 (448943)
01-15-2008 6:30 PM
Reply to: Message 17 by Phat
01-14-2008 2:40 AM


La propriété, c'est le vol!
Phat writes:
What irritates me is the Meth tweaker who is unemployed, hooked, and could care one whit about my job security as long as they can pilfer $30.00 to get high another day.
Stolen goods typically sell for a fraction of their tagged value. I don't think any addict could maintain a daily habit on $30 of purloined groceries. I can see that you want to condemn both drug use and theft, but please don't strain credulity to get two sinners with one stone.
It is usually hungry people who steal food, while addicts steal items more readily converted to cash.
Tens of millions of Americans are disadvantaged, uninsured, un- or underemployed--while billions in tax cuts (measured by our soaring national debt) flow to the wealthiest few: let's call that theft, and see what's left in the morally proportionate lexical set when we sift down to a loaf of bread.
I feel a tugging at my cynical left eyebrow as I listen to liberal, otherwise morally-relativist folks sound-off about the sanctity of property and the unforgivable sin of theft.
"I've got mine--last one in lock the door, set the alarm, and call the police."

Real things always push back.
-William James
Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
---------------------------------------

This message is a reply to:
 Message 17 by Phat, posted 01-14-2008 2:40 AM Phat has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 25 by nator, posted 01-15-2008 6:52 PM Omnivorous has replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 28 of 270 (448971)
01-15-2008 7:34 PM
Reply to: Message 25 by nator
01-15-2008 6:52 PM


Re: La propriété, c'est le vol!
Nator writes:
Omni, nobody was shoplifting at Zingerman's becasue they were hungry and poor.
They were wealthy professionals with a problem, or just greedy. Several of them took advantage of the "sure, you can have a shopping bag to carry your groceries in before you've paid for them" policy.
Note that I was replying to Phat, who, as I understand it, works in a community where the shoplifters are quite likely to be hungry and poor.
Your contempt for anecdotal evidence seems to have waned .
Nonetheless, wealthy professionals who steal are symptomatic of a society with deep conflicts surrounding property, equality and privilege--perhaps, since they are already complicit in stealing a decent living from so many, the pocketing of luxury goods seems only natural.
Or, they were likely addicts trying to take advantage of the "you don't need a reciept to return your item" policy. Before we started requiring reciepts for returns, people would come in on really busy days so nobody would notice them take the $60 bottle of olive oil off the shelf that they would then go up to the register and "return" for cash. Somebody even tried to circumvent the policy by photocopying a reciept.
Yes, both need and want birth invention.
We all deeply resented these people. We worked really hard and here come these people taking advantage of our kindness and trust and bending us over and screwing us. It made us look at all of our customers more suspiciously, and I really hated that.
Yes, the infections of inequality and greed poison all of us.
To make things even worse, Zingerman's does a huge amount of work to feed the hungry and help disadvantaged kids and people in recovery in its community, so much so that its efforts were recently recognized on a national level.
Why does that make things worse?

Real things always push back.
-William James
Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
---------------------------------------

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 Message 25 by nator, posted 01-15-2008 6:52 PM nator has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 29 by Granny Magda, posted 01-18-2008 8:14 AM Omnivorous has not replied
 Message 30 by Phat, posted 11-18-2011 11:25 AM Omnivorous has not replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 46 of 270 (641337)
11-18-2011 4:47 PM
Reply to: Message 31 by Taz
11-18-2011 2:26 PM


Re: Symptoms of societal disfunction
Taz writes:
Is there a reason you've been digging up really old threads? Just curious.
He's stealing them.

"If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you can collect a lot of heads."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 31 by Taz, posted 11-18-2011 2:26 PM Taz has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 47 by Phat, posted 11-18-2011 4:49 PM Omnivorous has replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 48 of 270 (641348)
11-18-2011 5:29 PM
Reply to: Message 47 by Phat
11-18-2011 4:49 PM


Re: Symptoms of societal disfunction
Phat writes:
Im liberating them from their capitalist oppressors.
Steal This Thread by Abbey Huffyman.

"If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you can collect a lot of heads."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 47 by Phat, posted 11-18-2011 4:49 PM Phat has not replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


(1)
Message 101 of 270 (641409)
11-18-2011 11:24 PM
Reply to: Message 98 by Dogmafood
11-18-2011 10:44 PM


Re: Who doesn't steal?
"Steal a little and they throw you in jail
Steal a lot and they make you king"

"If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you can collect a lot of heads."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 98 by Dogmafood, posted 11-18-2011 10:44 PM Dogmafood has seen this message but not replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 102 of 270 (641410)
11-18-2011 11:25 PM
Reply to: Message 97 by jar
11-18-2011 10:35 PM


Re: Who doesn't steal?
jar writes:
If it is illegal it is a crime.
Slavery was legal.
The Holocaust was legal.

"If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you can collect a lot of heads."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 97 by jar, posted 11-18-2011 10:35 PM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 104 by jar, posted 11-19-2011 10:22 AM Omnivorous has seen this message but not replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 110 of 270 (641454)
11-19-2011 1:50 PM
Reply to: Message 108 by Panda
11-19-2011 11:44 AM


Re: Make up your own definition.
Panda writes:
If our actions are a breach of criminal law then we have committed a crime and are therefore criminals.
Dictionary wise...
Panda writes:
The definition of 'a crime' requiring a victim is only used by criminals who can't accept that what they are doing is a crime.
One might reject a definition for reasons other than an inability to accept it.

"If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you can collect a lot of heads."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 108 by Panda, posted 11-19-2011 11:44 AM Panda has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 112 by Panda, posted 11-19-2011 5:03 PM Omnivorous has replied

  
Omnivorous
Member
Posts: 3973
From: Adirondackia
Joined: 07-21-2005
Member Rating: 6.9


Message 114 of 270 (641501)
11-19-2011 6:35 PM
Reply to: Message 112 by Panda
11-19-2011 5:03 PM


Re: Make up your own definition.
Omni writes:
Dictionary wise...
Panda writes:
Well, one can always make up the meaning of words...
Words existed before dictionaries, and dictionaries often provoke debate and dissent.
Common usage often differs from dictionary definitions, and it is the common usage that almost always ultimately prevails.
Desktop dictionaries offer quite abbreviated definitions, useful mostly for a glancing reference. The full OED treatment of a word often yields considerable surprises.
(I'd check my OED for "crime" and "criminal" but I never bought the e-version, and that magnifying glass is a torment now... )
AbE: I have no objection to characterizing my transgressions of law as crimes, or myself as a criminal.
Edited by Omnivorous, : embracing the term

"If you can keep your head while those around you are losing theirs, you can collect a lot of heads."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 112 by Panda, posted 11-19-2011 5:03 PM Panda has seen this message but not replied

  
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