Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is exactly how society works. If people work for my living and see someone just steal for theirs with absolutely no consequence, what they learn is that social dysfunction is optimal, and that doing otherwise is being a chump.
how about we build a robust social safety net so that stealing less than $1000 worth of stuff is not the best way to survive
Now, I do agree in a parallel way, but with a different solution. If we fix structural problems preventing people from being, or having hope of being, productive members of society, than that can prevent some crime.