Poll: Stealing from the rich to give to the poor.

[Timmey]

Why should my family starve ?

Because the effort is not there.

And if it was not a question of effort, unfair taxes, prices to high, would you not steal to survive, or help someone else survive.

 

[Macgyvercas]

In the context of robin hood where the people are pointlessly taxed in to poverty and starvation so the king and sheriff could make statues of themselves kickboxing the devil.... yes, it's okay.

In most real world situations. No, it's not okay stealing is wrong.

Off topic: You know how often people will call the police and openly tell us that someone stole thier illegal drugs?
Whatever you're thinking it's more often than that.

Ummm, ten times a week?

OT: Excellent point good sir. Though I must ask, wasn't the King technically Richard the Lionheart who was away on the Crusades, and left Prince John in charge, which is when things went to hell? Granted, historically John I of England became king after his brother Richard died in 1199, but I can't imagine John was called king before then.

 

[Daveman]

Why should my family starve ?

Because the effort is not there.

And if it was not a question of effort, unfair taxes, prices to high, would you not steal to survive, or help someone else survive.

Yeah, but I wouldn't pass it off as good or noble. Stealing is stealing and is as unfair as the circumstances that means despite anyone's best efforts it's impossible to survive.

No. No I would not. I would know my place.

Yeah, but that's because you're clearly a tory and your place is already at the top.

 

[Ghostkai]

Where's my option for "Stealing is stealing, no matter the circumstances"?

^_^

 

[Sakuji]

Recently I saw the new robin hood, and to a certain extent RDR, and it got me thinking, is it right to steal from the rich to give to the poor? So I put the question to you. Is it morally acceptable to steal from the rich to give to the poor, or is stealing always wrong?

There are many answers to this, not just one. In the context of government, there should never be taxation without representation. That is my basic dislike for Socialism, people are forced to give, just look at the poor smurfs for to work the same jobs for their entire like under a red-hatted leader.

On an individual basis, I think stealing from an individual who worked for their current lifestyle is also wrong, unless the difference is life or death. I believe most anything gets justified when you are on the brink of honest starvation. That excludes every major country in the world, they all have way to many social programs to let anyone starve.

Now, on a personal level, I always thought being an international art or diamond thief would be an awesome occupation. However, I would have to get off my lazy ass, so I have never got around to it yet

 

[Danny Ocean]

Stealing is always wrong. But i think big economical differences is wrong too.
The rich should give to the poor.

In a system where the Robin Hood system doesn't exist, we can only trust in that rich will help. I hold out hope that there are kind spirits among the wealthy.

Not quite. This is why we have taxes. It's not technically stealing, but many of the wealthy view it as such.

If you're looking at it from a moral standpoint: Stealing is wrong, but helping the poor is right. Do the ends justify the means?

If you're looking at it from an economic standpoint: There's endless debate about this, but I think that greater equality is better for everyone, so I'd say yes.

Of course, this site is American, and most of its occupants are American, so I'm gonna go ahead and raise my socialist flame shield right about now. Especially from those who view it as 'Morally Bankrupt'. Thank you McCarthy.

Well, I don't trust in that as either a moral thing or a functional thing. Taxes aren't foolproof. And while I'm okay with it, I think there should be option for those who don't want to be part of the system to be excluded. But that's the thing there, we can't choose to not live in a government/leadership run state. We are forced to pay taxes, we are forced to pay, we have no choice of being excluded unless you want to be a hermit.

You've just solved your own problem. If you are not part of a society, you become a hermit. You can still earn from individuals in that society (They could pay you to paint their house or whatever), and you can still spend that money in the shops.

You won't have anyone ensuring your security, or ensuring you get food when you can't afford it, or ensuring you'll get any protection from unscrupulous employers.

You can leave a society, but the ramifications of this are more than most realise. You effectively become a nation of one against a nation of millions, with no legal claim to any resources, as they have already been claimed by the other societies. They can dick you over all they like, but you can do nothing to protect yourself, because you are too small. You'll be the Palestine to the Israel.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Stealing is always wrong. But i think big economical differences is wrong too.
The rich should give to the poor.

In a system where the Robin Hood system doesn't exist, we can only trust in that rich will help. I hold out hope that there are kind spirits among the wealthy.

Not quite. This is why we have taxes. It's not technically stealing, but many of the wealthy view it as such.

If you're looking at it from a moral standpoint: Stealing is wrong, but helping the poor is right. Do the ends justify the means?

If you're looking at it from an economic standpoint: There's endless debate about this, but I think that greater equality is better for everyone, so I'd say yes.

Of course, this site is American, and most of its occupants are American, so I'm gonna go ahead and raise my socialist flame shield right about now. Especially from those who view it as 'Morally Bankrupt'. Thank you McCarthy.

Well, I don't trust in that as either a moral thing or a functional thing. Taxes aren't foolproof. And while I'm okay with it, I think there should be option for those who don't want to be part of the system to be excluded. But that's the thing there, we can't choose to not live in a government/leadership run state. We are forced to pay taxes, we are forced to pay, we have no choice of being excluded unless you want to be a hermit.

You've just solved your own problem. If you are not part of a society, you become a hermit. You can still earn from individuals in that society (They could pay you to paint their house or whatever), and you can still spend that money in the shops.

You won't have anyone ensuring your security, or ensuring you get food when you can't afford it, or ensuring you'll get any protection from unscrupulous employers.

You can leave a society, but the ramifications of this are more than most realise.

Well, if it weren't for lack of security for hermits, many would probably leave. My opinion is that the governments only task is to protect our rights, i.e. prevent use of physical force against us. Taces can be good, but the government's possesion of them is sometimes abused.

 

[Bobzer77]

If the rich people are evil... yes.

 

[Spygon]

If the poor are at the bottom the ladder starving,homeless or sick and the rich have spare cash there not using for any constructive purposes i feel stealing from the rich is fair.

 

[The Thief]

Why is theft morally wrong?

I really don't know.

How's about I make a visit to your domicile and nick some of your valuables while we mull that one over, hmmm?

Ill get annoyed yes, and ill steal back from you, but then why is it wrong?

You really don't see how if everyone behaved in this fashion it might be somewhat detrimental to society?

 

[Samuel Cook]

It depends why the rich and the poor are in their situations. In modern day society, the rich earned their money through hard work and commitment, where as most poor people are that way because they don't work hard/ at all, or don't have the determination you need to succeed. I'm not saying that's always the case, but when you look at how hard someone like Richard Branson worked, compared to some fat family living off benefits, it's fair to say both have earned their lifestyle.

 

[Danny Ocean]

My opinion is that the governments only task is to protect our rights, i.e. prevent use of physical force against us. Taxes can be good, but the government's possesion of them is sometimes abused.

I'd rather have my protection money in the possession of an accountable government than an unaccountable mafia or corporation, wouldn't you?

 

[tehroc]

The rich steal from the poor constantly so why is it not ok in the reverse? My meager tax dollars paid for the bonuses of the bank executives for screwing up the world's economy.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

No, unless the money was earned through corruption and fraud.
Although, even if that's the case, still probably no.

 

[Downfall89]

No, it's stealing, which is a violation of one's rights. I may sound heartless, but just because somebody is less fortunate than me doesn't mean I need to pay for it, when I've done nothing wrong and earned the money for myself through my own hard work.

Don't get me wrong, if I see a poor bum on the street, I have money that I myself don't need for me and my family, and I can trust that the bum will use it wisely, I will make a donation. But to steal, even for the "right reasons", is still stealing.

I think the big question is "Is it right to steal from honest rich people?", i.e people who earned it fair and square. In that case, no. If they didn't earn it, they are thieves themselves.

But, like my wise English teacher said, NO rich person got rich by being nice. And it's true. Then again, there are some real assholes, and some decent people. And it also depends on how poor the people are as well. If the normal person is starving so one family can be extremely well off, stealing from them is fairly justified.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

My opinion is that the governments only task is to protect our rights, i.e. prevent use of physical force against us. Taxes can be good, but the government's possesion of them is sometimes abused.

I'd rather have my protection money in the possession of an accountable government than an unaccountable mafia or corporation, wouldn't you?

I'd rather have my money in my own hand than in the government's. And I'd rather have my money in the possession of a corporation accountable by law.

 

[-AC80-]

you guys do realise stealing from the rich and giving to the poor is communism. so no, its also not right to have a traumatic event as being robbed done to anyone it just isn't right unless if you stab him, watch him bleed in agony on the floor and lol at him AND GET AWAY WITH IT!!

PS Im talking from experience here people, so yer, rob me if you dont value your life