A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters • Hacker News Board

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#31

Post by wahern » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:02 PM UTC

feet wrote: post #6

canjobear wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

So 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 That prosocial goal?

Ever been in a store dealing with significant amounts of shoplifting, such as basically all chain stores in San Francisco these days? The more the shoplifting, the more stuff ends up behind locked cabinets. In some stores it's so bad even candy is locked up.

Now consider what happens when convenience stores stop being convenient. People with money stop patronizing them. They reduce their stock of items. They close. And now people, including poor people, no longer have a convenient place to shop.

Everybody has options. Shoplifting is very rarely, if ever, the best option available to someone on the ropes. It's just often the more convenient option, until it stops being convenient for them and everybody else.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#32

Post by yadaeno » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

> “A LOT of people are like, ‘How, MORALLY, can you do this job?"

I only know of one or two people in my entire life that think that preventing theft immoral. "A LOT" is there to mislead readers into thinking there is a moral dilemma around loss prevention.

There is no moral dilemma. Not stealing is the most basic rule of society.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#33

Post by topkai22 » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

cmckn wrote: 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,…

> Power is a hell of a drug.

I wouldn't necessarily attribute that statement to a power trip. There is joy in doing a job well.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#34

Post by micromacrofoot » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

josephcsible wrote: post #5

> “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?

Because these people aren't stealing a Ferrari for a joyride, they're stealing things like diapers and laundry detergent... sometimes for personal use, but often to resell to other poor people to fuel a drug addiction.

These are people who live in poverty. Their lives are so bad that punishment is near meaningless.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#35

Post by bitwize » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

creaghpatr wrote: post #19

gretch wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That would account for "Stephen Strange" types who take on challenging surgeries just to prove they can do it and deserve their posh surgeon salary.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#36

Post by Grim-444 » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

feet wrote: post #10

josephcsible wrote: post #5

> “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.

You're assuming a) that they're shoplifting items needed to survive, and b) that there were no other, legal, sources of the items they needed (food banks, ebt, welfare, etc.) that they could have chosen to make use of instead. Of course the fact that you chose to insert some political anti-capitalist quip nonsense shows that you're not really interested in arguing from good faith and instead mostly just want to further your propaganda.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#37

Post by satsuma » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

cafard wrote: post #23

feet wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Is it OK to bust middle-class shoplifters, such as a number of my high school and college acquaintances?

it's a sad state of affairs when the shoplifters make more than loss prevention.

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#38

Post by voldacar » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

feet wrote: post #10

josephcsible wrote: post #5

> “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.

If you think the average shoplifter is like Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread, you're deeply out of touch with reality

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#39

Post by trs8080 » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #20

feet wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

What country are /you/ talking about? In my city, there are homeless people living in tents under every overpass, in every empty lot, parking lots, tennis courts, in broken down cars, etc. You think these people have trust funds?

Re: A subreddit dedicated to busting shoplifters

#40

Post by vikingerik » Wed, Jun 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

josephcsible wrote: post #5

> “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?

They believe that a business having resources that they don't is itself the immorality. They want any equalization of property between the rich and not-rich. There are plenty of comments justifying such stealing even here alongside this one.