Image description: a two panel meme with a bearded man speaking.

Panel 1: “You wanna know what I do when I see people stealing food or baby formula?”

Panel 2: “Fucking nothing because I’m not a fucking asshole.”

36 points

Baby formula is a common item for people to steal so they can resell it. So yeah, I’m going to say something. Stop supporting making baby formula harder for mothers to get and afford. It also helps drive these stores out of neighborhoods which makes it even harder for them.

These issues don’t have to be so dumbed down and black and white on social media. That’s a choice people are making.

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4 points

*for parents

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2 points

Not only that. It’s oftentimes used for cutting with drugs as well.

There is also return scams where they return the stolen items using a discarded receipt or opt for an in store giftcard.

All returns of baby formula are required to be discarded because of the cases of people tampering with the product.

Families are able to apply to get formula for fairly cheap, sometimes free though the use of coupons. The likelihood of a mother stealing formula for herself is extreamly small.

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2 points
*

I don’t see the moral difference between stealing baby formula to feed your baby and stealing baby formula to sell for rent. Capitalism fucking sucks and people do what they have to do.

And for all y’all saying "they’re probably just stealing for drug money or to buy designer clothes or (insert bad reason here) - that’s your bias speaking. You think the worst of shoplifters because you want to think the worst of shoplifters. You don’t know why someone is stealing. You don’t know what their life is like or what they need.

Do you know for a fact someone isn’t stealing to feed themselves or their kids? No? Then give your fellow man the benefit of the fucking doubt. Keep your mouth shut and your hands off.

And frankly, if someone develops an addiction because they use illegal drugs to mitigate the symptoms of their untreated mental illness or to numb the pain of being homeless in a capitalist society, and they steal to feed that addiction, who the hell are you to judge them? Everyone has a right to medical care, which means addicts have a right to medical care to treat their addiction, which is a hell of a lot more valuable than a few hundred dollars in baby formula, and society has stolen that right from them, so why shouldn’t they steal a little of their own back?

Even the least excusable shoplifting has a reason for it. And it is, quite frankly, a victimless crime, because corporations aren’t people. And I don’t give a shit if somebody in upper management loses his Christmas bonus over shrinkage. Wage theft by corporate employers steals three times as much as all other forms of larceny and theft in the US combined. So think about who the real thieves are before you go judging people.

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0 points

☝️ ✅

Very good points explaining of why folks should not snitch.

Another one: Who are you snitching to?

The shop manager? Why do you prioritise his wellbeing over the shoplifters?

The police? What does that solve except get the shoplifter into deeper shit and more likely to murder down the line?

Or perhaps you think “but people shouldn’t steal”, in which case you should go after bankers, the police, politicians and big corporations. Don’t have what it takes to do that? Then again, sit down your righteous ass and face your own helplessness.

Reporting some poor sod shoplifting won’t make you more powerful. It’ll make you one of those cowardly white European schmucks who sent their neighbours into concentration camps.

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-4 points
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Baby formula is a common item for people to steal so they feed their babies. So yeah, I’m not going to say something. Stop supporting making baby formula harder for care givers who cant afford it at the moment to get and steal. It also helps to keep the babies in the neighborhood fed.

These issues don’t have to be so dumbed down and black and white on social media. That’s a choice people are making.

You act like your take has nuance but I dont see any nuance and instead you just seem to disagree with the meme.

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14 points

Awkward. Literally my job is as a manager that involves stopping people from stealing stuff

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10 points

I mean, it’s a different story if you’re held personally responsible for shrink. You have to feed yourself too. Tough situation.

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1 point

Yeah I’d lose my job if I just started letting people leave with stuff, even if it’s tough like diapers.

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4 points

Yes… Capitalism takes a toll on all of us. I understand also your position. But from my position, I would rather not tell you if I saw people shoplifting… Which I also think you understand.

So if you bust me, at least we can get on with the capitalist program we are both stuck in with a tad more understanding and kindness towards each other.

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1 point

Well if you do see someone shoplifting, yeah it’s not your responsibility or expectation to tell someone! Unless it’s a mom & pop, they can afford some shrink just fine, and that is a much bigger deal to someone risking so much for such seemingly little things.

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Do you have any decision power in the process of dealing with a shoplifter? If you know the rules of your company regarding this you might be able to let some people of the hook or sometimes “miss” someone stealing.

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1 point

Not really, everything is tracked and heavy traffic, We catch quite a bit every day.

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5 points

I saw someone stealing in Safeway the other day, which is to say I saw absolutely nothing. Then when I was at the checkout the guy in the next lane over was ratting him out. For shame

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-7 points

Breastfeed is free

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7 points

So is walking, but not everyone has that choice.

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-1 points

People do use a car in many scenarios where walking or public transport is just fine and it is the same on this whole powdered milk industry.

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7 points
*

Did you miss the point on purpose?

There are mothers who are literally unable to breastfeed, just like there are people who are literally unable to walk (e.g. bound to a wheelchair.)

In a discussion about a family member trying to steal a wheelchair for a person with a disability, if you post a comment saying “walking is free hurr durr,” then you would get the same reaction from other commenters.

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3 points

Spent a little too much time in the stupid tank did ya?

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0 points
*

If you are a Nestle fanboy then that’s on you

New report details exploitative practices employed by $55 billion formula industry, compromising child nutrition, violating international commitments

“False and misleading messages about formula feeding are a substantial barrier to breastfeeding, which we know is best for babies and mothers,”

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1 point

OK but breastfeeding requires breasts you know? And that energy has to come from somewhere?

Shit time is money as some say, and very few mothers are given the opportunity to properly raise their children

Stealing on the other hand really is 100% free, and easy!

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3 points

doesn’t work for some mothers, through no fault of their own. not to disagree with the sentiment, just to remind that it’s not an option for everyone :)

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1 point

Yes, except for the time when

  • the mother have to continue to work to survive so she does not have time to breastfeed
  • the workplace does not allow the mother to pump while at work
  • the mother is too stressed or can’t feed herself properly which leads to her milk supply drying out
  • the nurse at the maternity just start giving a bottle to the crying baby rather than taking the time with the mother to initiate the milk production. Which leads to the milk supply to never really start properly

Breastfeeding is possible if and only if the mother is well taken care of, by her family and by the society.

The main benefit of formula is that now the society can continue to exploit women even directly after birth and the baby will still survive.

Someone stealing formula is not someone who is too lazy to breastfeed, someone stealing formula is someone who has to struggle to survive rather than spending time bonding with her child.

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-8 points

I said this before, but I wish I was stupid enough to think like this. Just blissful ignorance and elementary school playground arguments. Easy living

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0 points

Instead youre even stupider to not eh?

Hiel Walmart n shit

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-1 points

What does “hiel walmart” mean?

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0 points

Comparing you to blindly following the system that opresses you if we really boil it down.

Dont stop people from shoplifting and your owner sprays everyone with a little squirt bottle and you blame it on the shoplifters, not the owners?

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Shoplifting

!shoplifting@slrpnk.net

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exchanging tricks and experiences. discussing trends and events. connecting shoplifting to politcal theory and praxis. also memes.

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