4 ms·

No, we deem that the return after a certain point is smaller than the return when invested elsewhere. That does not mean we accept or condone crime. I know some

by mises 8y ago

No, we deem that the return after a certain point is smaller than the return when invested elsewhere. That does not mean we accept or condone crime. I know someone who lives in Houston. Houston is the "human trafficking capital of the world", so the police are rather busy. This friend had someone smash his window and steal his brand-new leather briefcase with his brand-new laptop inside. The police barely managed to take a police report, because they are "busy". The problem with allowing a "certain amount of crime" is that it's inherently a bright-line issue. What level is acceptable? What dollar amount? Bread is okay but a laptop is wrong; where in between those does the line fall?

matt4077 8y ago
Love how you managed to slip some xenophobia in this completely unrelated argument.
simonh 8y ago
Accepting something might happen, while explicitly stating that it's wrong as mcv did, isn't equatable to condoning it. Nothing that has been said in this thread can be reasonably construed as condoning crime. It's pretty obvious what was being said. I don't think nit picking technical objections based on exaggerations and then extending from minor tampon pilferage to robbery with violence is constructive.
- mcv 8y ago
  For me it's a bit more than accepting it might happen. If someone is so hungry that they have to steal bread, I hope they will steal my bread. For two reasons: bread is a really basic necessity. You starve if you can't eat. Fortunately almost nobody is that desperate, but if they are, I can't blame them for trying to stay alive. Secondly: bread is cheap. I can easily afford to lose some and not care. If it helps someone stay alive, then I'm glad. And I'm not the only one who thinks this way. A Dutch bishop has said something similar a decade or so ago. To some controversy, because condoning crime, but if your life is at stake, you've got to do what you've got to do. Of course society has some responsibility to ensure nobody ever gets that desperate, and seems to be doing a reasonable job at that, since nobody has stolen my bread yet. But if they did, I'd be fine with it. To get back to the original topic: I don't think sanitary pads and tampons are quite on the same level of bread, but I still don't see theft from public toilets as a serious source of concern.

by mises 8y ago

matt4077 8y ago

Love how you managed to slip some xenophobia in this completely unrelated argument.

simonh 8y ago

Accepting something might happen, while explicitly stating that it's wrong as mcv did, isn't equatable to condoning it. Nothing that has been said in this thread can be reasonably construed as condoning crime. It's pretty obvious what was being said. I don't think nit picking technical objections based on exaggerations and then extending from minor tampon pilferage to robbery with violence is constructive.

mcv 8y ago
For me it's a bit more than accepting it might happen. If someone is so hungry that they have to steal bread, I hope they will steal my bread. For two reasons: bread is a really basic necessity. You starve if you can't eat. Fortunately almost nobody is that desperate, but if they are, I can't blame them for trying to stay alive. Secondly: bread is cheap. I can easily afford to lose some and not care. If it helps someone stay alive, then I'm glad. And I'm not the only one who thinks this way. A Dutch bishop has said something similar a decade or so ago. To some controversy, because condoning crime, but if your life is at stake, you've got to do what you've got to do. Of course society has some responsibility to ensure nobody ever gets that desperate, and seems to be doing a reasonable job at that, since nobody has stolen my bread yet. But if they did, I'd be fine with it. To get back to the original topic: I don't think sanitary pads and tampons are quite on the same level of bread, but I still don't see theft from public toilets as a serious source of concern.