THIEVES CAUGHT

A. G. Maisey · 20th April 2015, 11:44 PM

Yes, it is probably true that theft is a universal characteristic of human society, perhaps the residual effect of the concept of communal property that existed in more primitive societies.

It may well be that human beings are hard-wired to regard all things as theirs for the taking --- possibly in exchange for something else, possibly by deception or force.

However, the public morality of developed societies is clearly opposed to theft on a small scale, so ultimately most thieves pay a price that far exceeds the value of that which has been stolen.

I emphasise the ideas of small scale theft and public morality.

In the immortal words of Robert Zimmerman:-

"Steal a little and they put you in jail, steal a lot and they make you a king"

Theft permeates our very being.

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20th April 2015, 11:44 PM	#16
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,994	Yes, it is probably true that theft is a universal characteristic of human society, perhaps the residual effect of the concept of communal property that existed in more primitive societies. It may well be that human beings are hard-wired to regard all things as theirs for the taking --- possibly in exchange for something else, possibly by deception or force. However, the public morality of developed societies is clearly opposed to theft on a small scale, so ultimately most thieves pay a price that far exceeds the value of that which has been stolen. I emphasise the ideas of small scale theft and public morality. In the immortal words of Robert Zimmerman:- "Steal a little and they put you in jail, steal a lot and they make you a king" Theft permeates our very being.