yet if there was no penalty for theft, there would be lots of theft. (Indeed, California recently reduced the penalty for theft -- making it a misdemeanor that

yet if there was no penalty for theft, there would be lots of theft. (Indeed, California recently reduced the penalty for theft -- making it a misdemeanor that is very rarely prosecuted for thefts under $950, and suddenly there's a massive increase in theft, because it turns out that you can make decent money stealing stuff $949 at a time)