Poll: If You Could Take One Cent From Everyone In the World.

[Yopaz]

Stealing one cent from any of the poorest would actually mean you steal a huge chunk of their money so no.

 

[The Lunatic]

I'd do it as many times I could.

Bunch of people I don't know nor will ever find out the fate of.

Don't care for taking a few pennies from them, regardless their wealth status.

Chance are I wouldn't even do anything decent with the money either.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

Yes. Without a second thought.

Even in the most impoverished places in the world, I see it as impossible that a single cent loss could kill anyone. And if someone does..... Well, that as they say is that.

But then again I am the kind of person that would kill family members for the right price...

 

[Ieyke]

Would I like 70 Million dollars? Yes. Duh.
Would I care that I stole 1 cent each from 7 billion people? No.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Completely hypothetical scenario: Let's say that somehow you discovered a way to to steal exactly one penny, or the monetary equivalent in countries with different currencies, from everyone in the world who has at least cent to their name. Since there are currently 7+ billion people in the world, probably most of which having at least some money, it's a pretty sure bet that you'll walk away with over 40 million dollars.

There's no chance you'll be caught. It's unlikely that anyone will even notice (or even care about) just one missing penny.

And that money is yours to do whatever you want, including donating to charity if you choose.

That was actually the theme of 1982's Bird of Prey.
and later, Superman 2.

I'd do it - but I'd send it somewhere - depends on where at the time. Might keep a mil in a Swiss bank account - but if I had that level of skill, you can bet it's going through a laundry and a few proxies first.

 

[Happy Yay]

One cent, even in the most destitute of nations, won't make a difference really.

Let's say in Darkest Africa, a cent will buy enough food for a family of four for a day. Then, they wake up one day and find their cent is gone! Oh no!

Do they only get one cent per day? Nobody ever died after not eating for a day, especially when they are already probably used to less lavish lifestyles than you or I.

Do they get no money? Then I'll only be quickening their deaths by a day. Won't matter really.

Do they get more than one cent per day? All the better.

 

[Zen Toombs]

I couldn't do it. The poor and destitute in other countries need everything they have, and to take even a small part of it seems cruel.

 

[Maze1125]

If I could fine-tune the device so it only acted in first world counties, then I would definitely do it. Otherwise I probably wouldn't.

 

[Guffe]

At first when I saw the thread I was like "of course I would" but now I am not sure.
I will think about it and maybe come back later and edit this post when I have wrapped my head around this.

 

[alandavidson]

As much as I want to say "yes", I couldn't do it. I've been to places where a penny literally was the barrier between life and death, and that's something you can never get out of your head. And besides, stealing is stealing, no matter who you're doing it from, and it's wrong no matter what.

 

[Phisi]

I would do it... over and over till i didn't think I could get away with it anymore.. and I would spend it all on hookers and blow

And then he died of syphilis ;P

Yeh I would over and over and set up my own charity to give the money to those that really need it. What's a little wealth redistribution worth.

 

[Feylynn]

Randomly given this option with conveniently no downside? Yes. Zero reason to do otherwise.
There is nothing to stop me from just not stealing from certain places is there? Regardless, there is ways to offset any real impact if not that.

The real trick in comes with the other numbers involved. You see, 90% of (Our terribly atrocious sampling of) the world is now willing to do this so really, after all is said and done? The people that didn't take the cent are now out billions of pennies and the people that did take it are only getting 10% of that initial monetary estimate.

Let's hope this is an exclusive hypothetical offer or everyone is going to lose. =O

 

[NightHawk21]

In a heartbeat, and then I would use said money to buy nice first world things that I don't need but want. On second though I'd invest the whole thing in a safe way that makes me roughly 100k a year and I'd live in a nice small house with internet or fund my own experiments.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

Of course I would, seventy million credits would go a long way to securing my future. And the impact of such a theft would be pretty negligible, thus no moral qualms. Of course, I'd rather pinch seventy (or more) mil from Apple or something, but beggars can't be choosers...

 

[emeraldrafael]

... Since there are currently 7+ billion people in the world, probably most of which having at least some money, it's a pretty sure bet that you'll walk away with over 40 million dollars.

...

if you're literally taking a penny from everyone one of the 7+B people thats 700+M

and I'd better find a way to hide it all two cause taxes will be a ***** abit out for sure.

but anyway, no. I wouldnt take it from EVERYONE. Isntead, I would use my newfound powers 9because I have just vastly increased in intelligence if i can do this) and find out who has money and who does not, and who can afford the penny. I would then take from those who could afford to lose mulitple pennies (cause if you can afford to lose a dollar, thats 100 pennies right there, and we all know the old saying that bill gates is so rich he can afford to walk past 100 dollars lying on the ground and thats 10K pennies) so that those who cant afford to lose a penny wont have to give it up and i can still take the equivalent.

 

[Arakasi]

Yes I'd do it, but I'd donate a shitload of it back into 3rd world countries.
1 cent could mean a lot to them for all I know.

 

[Nikolaz72]

On larger issues like this I try to ask myself, what would happend if everyone did it? Just randomly youknow.

And I figured, if everyone stole one cent from everyone in the world, everyone would be millionaries! So therefor it is not morally wrong

 

[Silas13013]

Yes, because I'm an asshole.