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Is any kind of stealing OK?

Discussion in 'Alley of Dangerous Angles' started by dmc, Sep 15, 2004.

  1. dmc

    dmc Speak softly and carry a big briefcase Staff Member Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    I am really floored by some of the responses here. Who appointed you as the arbiter of what someone or some company would miss or care about?

    To me, a lot of this is some kind of self-justification. Every little theft adds up people. You complain about the high prices of CD’s? Part of that price is because there are people that steal them.

    You complain about the profits that big companies take? Most of the large companies are public companies – do you know what that means? It means that their shares are owned by people and other companies. Some of those other companies are funds that pool people’s retirement money and invest it in the market. So, every time you steal from a big company, you are, in part, stealing from some teacher’s retirement fund.

    Yes, almost everyone has a breaking point for morality. In my naivete, I thought for most it was higher than a basketball or a case of beer.

    Morsmordre - I hand back the extra money - every time, without a second thought.
     
  2. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    @ Morsmordre: Actually, I've done both A and B. B when I was younger and wasn't so much woried about right vs wrong, and B when I became older and more honest.

    Stealing is stealing.
     
  3. Sarevok• Gems: 23/31
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    :toofar: You need your hands cut off
     
  4. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Hmm, I missed Bahir the Red's last post.

    It's that kind of attitude that I really don't understand, but I fear it is also not all that uncommon. How people can do those things, even going so far as to call them "semi-legal", and justify it simply on the basis that they can get away with it, shows an utter lack of respect for people or property. It's a sad commentary on the state of our society.
     
  5. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    Money is money. And my need is more than some rich arse company.

    I would not however, take dear old Mrs Smith's bag when she was not looking. Or steal a chocolate bar from a small corner shop. Or, steal something from SOMEONE (an individual). Especially if I like them. But that opens up another can of worms.

    I.e., if a work colleague was walking along and a fiver fell out of his back pocket, I would tell him about it. If my boss in his £500 suit was walking along to his £20,000 sports car and a fiver fell out of his pocket, you had better believe I'm keeping the bleeder.

    It comes down to whos need is greater. And that decision rests with me. I am of course, flat broke most of the time.

    Just companies pay structures and the way this worlds money is distributed gets my goat.

    And don't give me this about "companies charge high prices because they need the money as too many people like you steal". You find a boss of one of those companies, sat in his office, playing mini golf on his little set, or kicking his feet up, with all this artwork on the walls and expensive furniture dotted about. You find one of those guys and show me how he lives. Then find me a guy who works for peanuts in one of that companies factories who actually does all the hard work and you show me how he lives on the money he gets paid. Now you tell me that guy shouldn't have something more. Means to an end if these companies take the piss.

    The big company owners are far more morally corrupt than these 'nasty evil thieves'. Open your eyes.
     
  6. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Heh. If that boss' job is so easy to do, if it's so easy to be the owner of a company, then why doesn't that dumb**** on the factory floor just get up and open his own business?

    Because it's NOT an easy thing to run a successful business.

    And that justifies your own thievery in what way?
     
  7. Splunge

    Splunge Bhaal’s financial advisor Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Exactly, BTA. If everybody thought that way, eventually everyone would be stealing from everyone else.

    It's amazing sometimes the way people can justify their actions.
     
  8. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    You wanna be ripped off, thats up to you. I'll leave it with ya.

    My morals tell me not to be ripped off.
     
  9. joacqin

    joacqin Confused Jerk Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    And we arent stealing from everyone else?

    Our entire world is built up around A taking something from B. On the international scene it is we rich westerners who are stealing from the rest of the world so we can have widescreen TVs and two cars. Within our own countries a small number of people take from the large number of people. Within the company you work it is the few on the top who reap all the large profits.

    Feeling morally superiour because you return excess change seems kinda pointless to me when we all live in a society which foundation is to screw someone. I prefer my petty little immorality before wholesale hypocrasy. :)
     
  10. Sarevok• Gems: 23/31
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    Thinking like this will get you nowhere, give you grey hair by 30 and cancer by 40.
     
  11. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    For once, I agree with Sarevok!
     
  12. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I don't see that at all. A trades with B. You can certainly argue that the trade is inequitable, but that's another issue, and has nothing to do with stealing.
     
  13. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Actually, it is probably the other way around. Rich western countries send colossal sums of money to clever Eastern countries in return for comparatively useless trinkets like DVD players. The Asian countries can use this money to buy property in the Western countries in a scenario similar to how the American settlers purchased Manhattan from the Indians for a handful of trinkets. But, anyway, both of these scenarios are trades, not theft, as BTA says.
     
  14. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    ... Sorry if I sound stupid, but I can't work out what you mean :confused: . What has cancer got to do with anything? :confused:

    For the record: I VERY rarely steal anything... well, I NEVER steal anything (except maybe the odd jiffy bag from work for sending eBay items, but thats hardly theft in my book). I just understand the people who do. People who stand there and say "any kind of stealing is wrong! rar blah blah!" usually have more than enough money to be comfortable. From my experience anyway.
     
  15. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I think he's referring to the stress that you will suffer if you go around thinking of yourself to be a helpless victim of corporate bullies. If you think you can't do anything about it, then accept it and move on. If you think you can change the situation, then change it.
     
  16. Sarevok• Gems: 23/31
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    I used to think just like you and never had anything. I stopped thinking like that, I now understand that what ever I take from life I will lose one way or another and I now really do have enough money to be comfortable. If you carry on like that, you will definitely never have anything you desire.
     
  17. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    I hear what you're saying mate.

    Although, the only thing I am about to have a nervous breakdown over is if England fail to beat Northern Ireland and Wales in the WC quals (unlikely) or my team (Chesterfield FC) get relegated this year (unlikely X 2).

    I couldn't really give 2 flying monkeys. I have just about enough money to get by. I would like more, but wouldn't everyone? I was just bored and felt like contributing. I sometimes get a little carried away when writing replies to things.
     
  18. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    That's a very interesting statement. Now, why do you suppose that might be true? Is it that stealing becomes less wrong the less money/materials you have? Or could it be that those that can't afford what they would like to have and "supplement" their income through theft rationalize their stealing so that they can still feel good about themselves?
     
  19. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    All I meant is that people who are comfortable, money wise (especially if they are born into wealth) have no worries about spending over the odds for things, as money means less to them as they rarely have had to worry about it.

    People with less money however, will naturally feel more aggrieved at paying a lot of cash for stuff and will feel more inclined to steal IMO.

    But I didn't mean anything by it. As I said above.
     
  20. Abomination Gems: 26/31
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    Well, there is a link between lower standard of living and increased crime.

    I'm still sticking with my origional statement - no kind of theft is good unless it's repossession

    e.g. of repossession: Back in High School someone stole my cricket bat, two days later I saw someone with my cricket bat at lunch time. He was twice my size and I didn't want to be percieved as a 'squealer' by getting my teachers to get my bat back. He had it lying against the chair next to him, I walked past and nicked it without him noticing. I didn't bat an eyelid at the moral issue (if any).
     
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