Is it right to...

[Florence-Blue]

...steal from places like primark, Asda and so forth?

I was discussing it with someone today.

On one hand there bastards, but at the end of the day they don't really get in troble. And is it really going to help or make things worse?

And on the the other some people think all stealing is morally wrong.

What do you guys think?

[Thomzo]

Stealing under any circumstances is wrong.

If you steal from them they have to put their prices up to cover their losses so you are stealing from every one of their customers.

In reality of course, they don't put their prices up as the customers would complain. Instead they pay their suppliers less. I've heard that some of these places charge the cost of the losses to the suppliers. So it is the farmer that ends up paying for what is stolen.

Stealing is wrong

Zoe

[Florence-Blue]

but apartly they already budjet for shoplifting.And i heard it went on the product price, but i could be wrong.

Thanks for your opinion

[Annpan]

Yup, stealing is always wrong.

The people who suffer are the staff, the manufacturers and the general customers of the shop

We're talking about the kids who sew up the stuff getting paid less or having unsafe working conditions. The farmers who are forced to sell their produce at pennies. The staff who have to work unpaid overtime because the shop looses too much in shoplifting to pay them a fair and proper wage (Oh yeah, I worked in a shop for many years)

I had to sit in on several cases, where our shop security had caught shoplifters and it is never clever. I saw people sitting there infront of their kids, or people who were staff in other shops within the mall. They were usually discusted with themselves once you explain to them who has to pay for what they steal.

Instead of stealing (justified by the company being shitty) You should save all your pennies and go to the shops/ companies that have more ethical working practices.

[Florence-Blue]

yes, I see.

I've never really done it my self, apart from a few sweets whn i was little.
But my friend justifys it using the points you made, apart from where the money makes up for it.

But lets face it, theifs or no theifs, they'd still pay the farmers the same.

[Annpan]

But it doesn't justify it. To say that oh well because this company is crap to their workers, we can just steal from them... it's not right.

I have seen people steal, while I had to put in a 40 hour weeks getting paid minimum wage so that I could pay my mortgage, bills and put food on the table. I would do all the overtime available, so that I could save a little for my future.

What gives the shoplifters the right to walk in and steal whatever they want?

Once when a shoplifter was caught in our shop the member of staff who was sitting in went crazy. She was screaming and shouting at this woman who had tried to steal £50 worth of clothes. The member of staff was shouting at this woman how long she had to work to earn that much money, and this woman was justifying it by saying that the company makes allowances for this kind of thing.

They don't. Ultimatley it is the little people that suffer... do you think Mr head of the board Asda takes a pay cut because £500 of stock was lost today, no, the suppliers and workers have to.

[red]

have to agree - stealing is always wrong

Its about living to your standards.. even if they dont.

[Wombat]

Yep, stealing is about you not them. There is no justification for it, it is just plain wrong.

Nev

[ina]

Don't know whether it's still like that nowadays - but when I worked for a filling station a long time ago, it was the staff who had to pay for shortages, i.e. for those who drove off without paying their petrol, or missing goods from the shop. (Yes, there was a stock take of kinds every shift change over.) Unless, of course, we noticed the theft when it happened and called the police. But basically we had to have the licence number of the car that drove off... If not, we paid.

[Jack]

Gidday

but apartly they already budjet for shoplifting.And i heard it went on the product price, but i could be wrong.

Thanks for your opinion

Sure they udget for it. Then they add onto the price of everything and all other customers pay, so infact you are steally from every customer regardless how little they can afford it.

There can be no justification.

[wulf]

If someone is so concerned about the unjust practises of the supermarkets that they are willing to risk fines and punishments by stealing from them as a form of "action", they would be far better advised to invest their time and energy in less underhand routes.

Every action is an investment in the type of world we want to live in. Stealing because you can get away with it suggests that you want a world where people can take from you because you can get away with it. Stealing for "trade justice" is like fighting for peace or screwing for virginity....

Wulf

[baldowrie]

stealing does not show that you are concerned about the unjust practises of large retail companies.

It shows you are an unscrupulous thief!

Florence-blue do not be a sheep and give into peer pressure to commit crime. Be your own person and stand and say NO!

The only exception is mental illness where stealing is not an intentional act but a cry for help

[hamster]

Every action is an investment in the type of world we want to live in.

What a wonderful way of putting it! Can I quote you?!!

I agree. It doesn't help anyone in the third world or stacking shelves on minimum wage if those who can afford it aren't prepared to shell out the extra 40p for a fairtrade mango or whatever. Okay, so by stealing you aren't giving any money to these shops, but you are still relying on them, so they will continue to exist and to exploit people all along the supply chain. Instead, send a letter to their customer service departments explaining why you won't be shopping there and start buying your clothes from more ethical places. If you genuinely can't afford that, at least try and buy second hand. (I've got some fantastic clothes from charity shops.)

[QuakerBear]

Every action is an investment in the type of world we want to live in.

What a wonderful way of putting it! Can I quote you?!!

I agree with the above.

Of course many of the faceless suits who run such companies must have a very low set of morals to instigate and inforce the kind of wage slavery that allows their companies to succede in an over-filled market, but you will not hurt them in any way by stealing. The only way you can show your distain for bad business practices is to vocally opt out of their consumer world.

No matter the philosophy or politics of stealing the very act is degrading to you. You must be furtive, dishonest and suspicious of all the people around you for fear of being found out. This is not a positive, productive or skillful mindset for you to ever experiance let alone develop as part of a 'life-style choice'.

Sorry if that sounded lecture-ish, it's just the way I feel.

[QuakerBear]

Now why can't I make a nice quote in a little box like Hampster above me?