A reasonable stance of compassion. It's a reprieve from the more common misanthropic Randian attitudes towards the poor. Be nice to the poor, there are so many things beyond our control that could make any of us poor tomorrow.
Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
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Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#32I'm interested, what test do they perform to check if a person in question was hungry?/s Still, it's a bad precedence imho, so according to such logic, a homeless person could also invade my home and sleep in my bed, because he can't afford his own.
>according to such logic, a homeless person could also invade my home and sleep in my bed, because he can't afford his own.
Not quite, a homeless person could invade an empty home and sleep in that bed. This is done all the time, and is somewhat covered by squatter's rights. It's currently assumed that greater than 15% of the world's population are squatters. [1]
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land–or a building, usually residential–that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use.
Author Robert Neuwirth suggested in 2004 that there were one billion squatters globally. He forecasts there will be two billion by 2030 and three billion by 2050.
Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#33Reminds me of La miserables.
Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#34Reminds me of how trying to escape from prison is not illegal in certain countries.
Can you say in which countries?
Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#35Reminds me of how trying to escape from prison is not illegal in certain countries.
I don't know if that's quite the same though. Assuming a just legal system (maybe that's a stretch) one is in jail as a consequence for their own actions. Therefore being in jail is of their own doing and the right thing to do is to accept their punishment for their actions. Being poor is not always a consequence of one's own actions or always within one's control.
Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#36Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Holy Jesus! What is that? What the fuck is that? WHAT IS THAT, PRIVATE PYLE?
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, a jelly doughnut, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: A jelly doughnut?
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, yes, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: How did it get here?
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, I took it from the mess hall, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Is chow allowed in the barracks, Private Pyle?
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, no, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Are you allowed to eat jelly doughnuts, Private Pyle?
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, no, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: And why not, Private Pyle?
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, because I'm too heavy, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Because you are a disgusting fat body, Private Pyle!
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, yes, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Then why did you try to sneak a jelly doughnut in your footlocker, Private Pyle?
Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, because I was hungry, sir!
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Because you were hungry...
Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#37The 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.
Gleaning was more about allowing the poor to have inefficient access to the raw materials that with hard work could be made into food. Taking prepared food from a merchant would have still been a crime.
For example "People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay esevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house."
Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#38Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#39I'm interested, what test do they perform to check if a person in question was hungry?/s Still, it's a bad precedence imho, so according to such logic, a homeless person could also invade my home and sleep in my bed, because he can't afford his own.
>according to such logic, a homeless person could also invade my home and sleep in my bed, because he can't afford his own. Not quite, a homeless person could invade an empty home and sleep in that bed. This is done all the time, and is somewhat covered by squatter's rights. It's currently assumed that greater than 15% of the world's population are squatters. [1] Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or u…
What you've described is more akin to gathering discarded food in the back of supermarkets and restaurants, not taking it (stealing) from the rightful owner.
Re: Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry
#40I 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…
That's absurd. Being subject to incessant advertising doesn't make you need a movie or beyond responsibility for your own actions.
No one is saying this guy isn't responsible for stealing food, the court is saying he ought not to be punished for it given his particular circumstances.
EDIT: I'll concede this may not apply to toddlers.