Stealing, Theft and Shoplifting!

I really enjoyed this article Shoplifting: Compulsion, Crime or Misdemeanour?. Its interesting to see how different European countries deal with shoplifters...

It would appear the most common arguement is that it is more acceptable if people steal because they need to, for example, to support their families. Or a comparison between stealing from a large campany, and stealing from the public, a family for example.

I guess my opinion is this..

Large companies have been stealing for a long time. As they saying goes 'the rich get richer as the poor get poorer'.

Many companies exploit less economically developed countries, e.g. people in sweat shops, coffee farmers receiving extraordinary low incomes etc..

For example *A popular coffee shop* teamed up with Fairtrade in response to growing criticism from the public and campaigners who were fighting on behalf of coffee farmers struggling to meet the demand, but also receive very low rates of pay, suffer from exhaustion and poor health and live in poverty etc. But also in a response to the sharp decline in sales during the economic downturn, and to try to win back their consumers. Did they team up with Fairtrade for moral reasons? No. Due to growing pressure, and decreases in profits? Yes.

Why am I ranting about sweat shops and coffee farmers? Well I guess I don't feel too bad for the companies and large corporations who are stolen from. In fact, I think that £4 for a cup of coffee is day light robbery anyway! Its not as if companies would stop exploiting others if stealing stopped, they would just be overjoyed that their overall profits have increased. I think it is karma in a way...

I do feel that stealing from other people (e.g. burglary, mugging) is awful though. It isn't just the financial implications, but the invasion of privacy, sentimental value of things, trauma, and just the damn cheek of helping yourself to someone elses hard earned (assumed!) cash and belongings strikes a moral nerve with me!

Is my opinion wrong? Yes! of course it is. Is it balanced...well no, and I see the flaws and the hypocracy within it...but its what I think!