Oh fuck off. I can't think something is inconsequential?
There's a lot of this going around in the thread. Many of you are assuming just because you participate in the market means that you are a hypocrite for supporting another arrangement of economic organization. This is not really the case. We have no choice but to participate in the (capitalist) market, as it is the only place where I can receive the necessities of life. Obviously every purchase in the market is going to be reinforcing the capitalist system and all of its pitfalls, but there's not really much choice.
But yes, it's true shoplifting isn't an effective method against capitalism. It doesn't do anything to agitate workers against the ruling capitalist class, it only makes them resentful against communists (or otherwise) who claim to be shoplifting in order to 'smash the system' but are really just harming the workers involved. The Koch brothers aren't going to be taking the brunt of the financial loss here, it'll be the workers getting their wages slashed for a few weeks. Only collective action from the working class is capable of overthrowing capitalism and instating a new economic ideology. Individual action is useful when its being put towards this goal of creating that collective current of action, like giving an impromptu speech in a park that piques peoples' interest in the ideas of communism that they may investigate and learn from, but it's not so useful if it's going to be hurting the workers, which is the last thing communism seeks to do.
But they still exist under capitalism. And quite frankly, that's cowardly. I'm not just a communist for myself but to end all oppression. Why would I run away instead of doing what I can to fight it?
Wouldn't it be much more effective to use those tools to agitate and organize against capitalism?
It's not a victimless crime. You're creating more stress and work for the people at that store. In some cases, you're helping people lose their jobs. Through cumulative shoplifting nationwide, you help to cause price increases to be pushed on consumers who aren't scummy thieves.
Or would you....?
That's actually the first reasonable argument anyone has made. Which is why I only shoplift tiny things, and don't make a habit of it. And why I only do it at huge stores that already have expectations for lost profits for shoplifting and are too big to bother punishing workers for it.
Clearly, the answer is petty theft.
This isn't reality, no matter how much you want to pretend it is.
Or would you....?
It's pretty obvious that if you have to work this hard to create some kind of internal logic to justify your shoplifting, you're probably full of shit and are just self-interested.
Show me where I said any of those three things.
This is the image I saw that got me to investigate:
I would hypothetically download a car in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't steal one from someone.
Or would you....?
Sure, I can't disagree with that. I've turned adblock off on this site because I'm interested in its continuance because I find value in the discussion held here. But at the same time, I can acknowledge that any individual who keeps ads on might in one instance purchase whatever product is being advertised, which means supporting an exchange where the worker who created the product is not being paid their value, and the owners of the company take profit that they didn't earn through their own work.
That along with the "guys, Kleptomania is like totes serious, we need to be sympathetic. but also, BE A BAD BITCH!"
You're a disingenuous asshole who is blatantly twisting my words
