More Americans are shoplifting food • Hacker News Board

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#101

Post by Shared404 » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:26 AM UTC

sanguy wrote: post #84

Shared404 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> defund the police Yes. If [0] is a point of debate, we need to seriously reform the police system, and defunding/demilitarizing is a good starting point. > When we have politicians endorsing ... riot, and use violence and terror Source? Encouraging protests is not the same as encouraging riots, let alone violence/terror [0] https://www.npr.org/2020/12/07/943829901/police-in-ohio-say-...

We need a more authoritative police who are given authority to really police. This means use of force when needed without being thrown under the bus for doing so as a default response. What we really need is Judge Dredds or Robocops that can re-establish that "do bad things and bad things happen to you" that is no longer present in todays world.

Legitimate question: Are you trolling?

Also, I'd still like a source for the above.

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#102

Post by Frost1x » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:29 AM UTC

werber wrote: post #77

lightgreen wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody is starving to death in the US. Food stamps and food bank help with that. The situation may be bad, but not as dramatic as you paint it.

Starving to death on the street might be extreme, but, being exploited, being raped, being used a slave, I've been there, and it's real and I assume it hasn't gotten any better.

Starving to death on the street sets up opportunities for much of the rest of what you described.

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#103

Post by sjg007 » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:30 AM UTC

just-juan-post wrote: post #83

matthewmacleod wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The state governors could choose to end lifestyle restrictions at any moment but choose not to. This is a gross misrepresentation that proves you have no interest in serious comment on this matter.

Nah man that's just how I see it. How do you see it? Do you think it's impossible to remove the restrictions now? Let me hear your side.

Well if we open up with no restrictions a lot of people will get very sick very quickly. This will overwhelm hospitals. I mean we are almost at a complete ICU collapse right now already. And a lot of people will die, not just of covid but of other treatable diseases. Not to mention we will run out of PPE and medical supplies. Care will be rationed even more than it is now. More doctors and nurses and respiratory therapists will get sick and die. There will be a lot of death. So basically death, death and more death. This will disproportionally impact the poor and poor essential workers.

And then everything will shutdown anyway because nobody will go out. We might get 1-2 months maybe 3 months.

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#104

Post by fistfucker3000 » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:32 AM UTC

xyzzyz wrote: post #42

At the same time, personal savings rate is through the roof: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT and household debt service costs are lowest in recent history: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/TDSP People have received thousands of dollars in stimulus checks. Thanks to extra $600/$300 that the feds have added to federal unemployment, those that lost their jobs received in many cases significantly more that t…

Savings rate is a function of income. What if your income is zero because you've lost your job due to a pandemic?

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#105

Post by peterburkimsher » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:35 AM UTC

givehimagun wrote: post #22

As an American, I'm furious that we (American people) failed these people. I want to help - I've been blessed with a great job and I want find a way to help these people. The food bank in my region is distributing 2x the food they did last year. The director of the site mentioned how important it is to find ways to reach those who are food insecure in dignified ways. Find me more groups that want to/are helping with…

BeWelcome is a volunteer-run, open-source hospitality exchange network like CouchSurfing.

I'm very interested in getting the BeWelcome community involved in helping out with food, as well as shelter.

How can we reach the people who need it most?

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#106

Post by xyzzyz » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:36 AM UTC

fistfucker3000 wrote: post #104

xyzzyz wrote: post #42

At the same time, personal savings rate is through the roof: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT and household debt service costs are lowest in recent history: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/TDSP People have received thousands of dollars in stimulus checks. Thanks to extra $600/$300 that the feds have added to federal unemployment, those that lost their jobs received in many cases significantly more that t…

Savings rate is a function of income. What if your income is zero because you've lost your job due to a pandemic?

If incomes were going down, you’d expect decrease, not increase in savings rate.

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#107

Post by Frost1x » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:36 AM UTC

monetus wrote: post #97

Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mortgages, rent and utilities are all suspended almost everywhere. Wait, seriously? I haven't been following events in the USA during this COVID year, but I assumed that things are like in most other developed countries with regard to things expected of people. In most European countries you still have to pay your rent and utilities every month, in spite of the noticeable economic slowdown.

An eviction moratium exists, but it doesn't cover your bills. "Almost everywhere," and "suspended", lack truthiness. As far as I know, unpaid rent and utilities will be owed. Some legislatures and housing organizations forgave periods of time, I think - that could certainly give you the impression that it is ubiquitous. Anecdotal: the food pantry near my home is often busy now; much, much more so than last year.

AFAIK, late payments can also be subject to interest and late fees as well. So, while some might not be evicted during the pandemic, they might build up so much debt and interest without income during this time that when things are over, they'll be filing bankruptcy and be out in the streets at a different, future time. I guess it's better than being homeless during the pandemic?

Pretty sad state of affairs we have in the "developed" world.

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#108

Post by Spooky23 » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:37 AM UTC

strken wrote: post #100

Spooky23 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. Self check is such an obviously dumb approach, especially with high value stuff like meat. People do stuff like swap tags or enter invalid PLUs all of the time. Was that a cherry (11/lb) or a potato (0.69/lb)?

If you see a gigantic corporation continuing to use an obviously dumb approach as part of its core business, it's possible that you might not have considered all the angles.

Possibly. Some big corps tend to be pretty dumb when decision makers are too far away.

Supermarkets are pretty easy to spot bad management in in particular.

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#109

Post by strken » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:40 AM UTC

Serious_Cheese wrote: post #93

bergstromm466 wrote: post #64

[flagged]

It's sad to see HN users just downvote something they don't agree with instead of responding to the arguments made berg. berg, what other options do we have besides capitalism? We saw how millions of people died of starvation with communist/socialists societies.

Often, downvotes are about the way an opinion is presented, not the opinion itself. Saying that capitalism is the real shoplifting is vague and unproductive, and it doesn't contain a counterproposal, so as a statement it's hard to engage with.

If the GP had come up with a proposal for how to fix this, which would probably have meant elaborating on how to completely abolish all private property in the context of the modern US, I think the post would not have been so heavily downvoted.

Re: More Americans are shoplifting food

#110

Post by randycupertino » Fri, Dec 11, 2020, 12:41 AM UTC

threatofrain wrote: post #99

e40 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Bay Area there has been a big uptick in thefts and break-ins. My sources are local people and first-hand knowledge (such as seeing broken glass everywhere on the street). I'm in the Oakland area, but friends in other places have experienced and witnessed some crazy things this year. It just blows me away that (part of) Congress has stonewalled any attempts to get people money, given the lockdowns. Reportedly t…

Giving individuals money is a top Democratic political point but they don't have the negotiating power to make the GOP budge. Democrats would absolutely love to give a $1200 check to every individual, as that would help cities greatly. Socialist is a toxic insult in the GOP party, and it's how they painted the Democrats in Florida, as well as AOC and Bernie.

My anti-socialist Aunt and Uncle live on social security a pension from his municipal job and complain about their medicare copays when they cost more than $4. They also purposely don't recycle because of "O'Bummer." I tried to explain to them that recycling existed before Obama but it fell on deaf ears. My aunt literally dumped a giant bag of empty bottles into the garbage can and gave a little gleeful laugh saying, "Haha, OBAMA!" as the cans clattered down.

Meanwhile they have grandkids so I don't really understand why they wouldn't support environmental policies. They're basically brainwashed by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh's talk radio show.