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tdb7893yesterday at 9:18 PM3 repliesview on HN

I've known a lot of people who justify crimes like shoplifting by the fact that these corporations have stolen from them (and not in some abstract way, often literal wage theft) and felt like the social contract was already broken. And it's not like the leaders at the large corporations I've worked at generally seem to care about their employees or customers (I would describe most places I worked at as, at best, amoral. I've heard "well, if we didn't do it some other less ethical company would" too many times).

Edit: not that I'm pro-shoplifting, it's that the article talks about them breaking the "social contract" (though the article is more of a reality show-esque piece as it's a opinions writer beefing with Twitch streamers and doesn't talk to any people actually shoplifting).


Replies

girvoyesterday at 9:26 PM

Literal wage theft is rampant, so yeah in some ways I understand why people would feel that way.

I’m still mad about a company I worked at over 12 years ago who stole from me and never paid my Super.

daedrdevyesterday at 11:29 PM

The thing is grocery stores make very little money, usually low single digit percentage profits, that surprisingly low rates of shoplifting can sink a store and force it to close. Shoplifting, especially the trend of rich people performatively shoplifting, dramatically harms the local community

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bad_usernameyesterday at 9:25 PM

Justifying one's crime because other crime exists - isnot a winning position long term.

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