Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry • Hacker News Board

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#21

Post by emodendroket » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:48 PM UTC

moron4hire wrote: post #7

The Judeo-Christian Bible calls this "gleaning". From what I understand, it was considered an essential part of the social safety net and farmers who erected fences to keep truly needful gleaners out were considered sinful.

That's not really what "gleaning" is. "Gleaning" is picking up the little leftover bits of grain after the reaping is done. The Old Testament does command farmers to leave behind the bits for gleaning and permit gleaning on the part of the poor, however, and it is clearly intended as a sort of premodern welfare system.

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#22

Post by golergka » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:49 PM UTC

It took them four years to reach a conviction on a most trivial of cases, that was then appealed even later?

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#23

Post by emodendroket » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:49 PM UTC

deepnet wrote: post #19

France has long had a similar leniency for stealing bread.

A sort of Jean Valjean rule, if you will.

e: That's probably exactly what you meant. Whoops.

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#24

Post by idiocracy2016 » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:49 PM UTC

Pretty sweet! Between this and credit card bonus air mile rewards, next vacation is going to be way cheaper.

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#25

Post by hanief » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:50 PM UTC

Reminds me of the third islamic caliph, Omar ibn Khattab, who suspend punishment for thief on famine. [1] I wonder if there is another legal presedence beside it.

[1]https://books.google.co.id/books?id=ZRqe3iPwsTkC&pg=PA36&lpg...

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#26

Post by emodendroket » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:50 PM UTC

golergka wrote: post #22

It took them four years to reach a conviction on a most trivial of cases, that was then appealed even later?

It is almost as though attempting to prosecute a homeless man who stole cheese and a couple sausages is not a wise use of the state's resources.

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#27

Post by notsotrue » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:50 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #11

notsotrue wrote: post #2

By this logic, money theft is 'not a crime' if poor.

Being poor shouldn't mean you can't get basic life-sustaining things like food, shelter, clothing. That's why being poor is not an excuse for stealing but being hungry is.

Agreed, I'm all for basic income, and social safety nets. But stealing them, isn't the right answer either. The burden should be on the state to provide those necessities, not the local business owners.

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#28

Post by golergka » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:50 PM UTC

duncanawoods wrote: post #8

I have wondered whether this applies to the ethics of piracy too. For example, on release of a blockbuster movie - the distributor will do blanket advertising saturating every channel trying to manufacture a demand - tv, internet, sides of buses, roadside-hoardings, in taxis, talk shows, newspaper native ads etc. You just can't escape even in your own home eating your breakfast cereal when the box is smeared with adv…

> They didn't really have a choice.

Only if they have IQ below the level which is considered minimum to be responsible for your actions.

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#29

Post by NiftyFifty » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:50 PM UTC

Eeeeghhhhhhhhh fooogetttaboutit.

Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

#30

Post by garyrob » Tue, May 03, 2016, 1:50 PM UTC

It's a little hard to understand how this ruling won't cause a certain degree of chaos. Can any hungry, homeless person now steal food from any store in Italy without repercussion? Certainly as a matter of compassion, this ruling can be argued as being reasonable, but how can it work as a practical matter?