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A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

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Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#11
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see the problem as long as it's directed toward a prosocial aim.

Yeah if a doctor said “I don’t really care about my patients’ lives. I just like the power of being able to prevent death” I really think that’s perfectly fine

If they prevent my death, I don't care why.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#12
post #9

What I find amazing is that some retail operators apparently expect low-wage workers making like $12/hour to physically accost shoplifters or try to detain them at the exit door, at risk of getting punched in the face, bear sprayed, shot, stabbed, etc. They're not getting paid anywhere near enough for that level of risk.

Who expects that? Don't most retailers explicitly tell their employees not to try to stop shoplifters?

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#13
post #2

Article kind of bums me out. One loss prevention officer says: > He finds the environment of loss prevention thrilling and takes pride in the training he’s received to track down and apprehend shoplifters. “That’s a huge adrenaline rush,” he says. “I think that’s a major factor in why people are in this field.” But also says: > “I don’t do this because I think shoplifting is wrong,” he says. “If I’m perfectly honest,…

I don't see the problem as long as it's directed toward a prosocial aim.

Who and what is defined as prosocial has a long and sordid past and history of death and misery.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#14
post #9

What I find amazing is that some retail operators apparently expect low-wage workers making like $12/hour to physically accost shoplifters or try to detain them at the exit door, at risk of getting punched in the face, bear sprayed, shot, stabbed, etc. They're not getting paid anywhere near enough for that level of risk.

Who expects that? Don't most retailers explicitly tell their employees not to try to stop shoplifters?

Yes, indeed they do put that in writing in their employee documentation, for their legal protection, and then the actual floor managers tell them to do the opposite verbally.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#15
There's a subset of the population that assesses crime not based upon legality/illegality or morality/immorality or because it has overarching effects on society, but by fitting it into a shallow "just universe"/"unjust universe" paradigm. So the homeless guy steals the candy bar, and the article implies he should not be prevented from doing so because... Well, the world screwed him over, and a free snack is a minor adjustment to all the problems he's faced. Something like that?

It's a kindergartner's level of moral thinking combined with Karmic mysticism, equally juvenile.

But if you base law enforcement around that, I promise you that neighborhood will be one of those "food deserts" you've heard about. Which the same people will then complain about.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#16
post #10

> “A lot of people are like, ‘How, morally, can you do this job?’” How did people's moral compasses get so corrupt that instead of believing stealing is immoral, they believe that stopping other people from stealing is immoral?

Copying my other comment here. There definitely is a moral issue >busting people who are shoplifting items that they either need to survive or items that they can sell to survive to say, pay rent, because our capitalist system has shit on them and left them with no options Property rights should not be above human life. Full stop.

No post body was provided.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#18

> “A lot of people are like, ‘How, morally, can you do this job?’” How did people's moral compasses get so corrupt that instead of believing stealing is immoral, they believe that stopping other people from stealing is immoral?

I think that for some people, a lifetime of watching morally bankrupt corporations post record profits while your wages remains stagnant (made even more painful by inflation) can make it easy to fall in to the "If they can do it why can't I" trap.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#19
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see the problem as long as it's directed toward a prosocial aim.

Yeah if a doctor said “I don’t really care about my patients’ lives. I just like the power of being able to prevent death” I really think that’s perfectly fine

Psychopaths are overrepresented in surgery/EMT work if I'm not mistaken, for better or worse.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#20
post #10

> “A lot of people are like, ‘How, morally, can you do this job?’” How did people's moral compasses get so corrupt that instead of believing stealing is immoral, they believe that stopping other people from stealing is immoral?

Copying my other comment here. There definitely is a moral issue >busting people who are shoplifting items that they either need to survive or items that they can sell to survive to say, pay rent, because our capitalist system has shit on them and left them with no options Property rights should not be above human life. Full stop.

What country are we talking about. In the US nobody needs to steal to survive. The homeless don't even need to steal to survive.
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