What an idiot, part two!

[Derec]

Cynthia Nixon ran for NY governor in 2018 and was endorsed by AOC among others. She received 35% of the primary vote, so not exactly fringe among NY Democrats.

Cynthia Nixon slammed on Twitter after claiming shoplifters shouldn’t be arrested

“The CVS on my corner has started locking up basic items like clothing detergent,” the one-time wannabe New York governor tweeted Saturday.
“As so many families can’t make ends meet right now, I can’t imagine thinking that the way to solve the problem of people stealing basic necessities out of desperation is to prosecute them,” she wrote.
A handful of followers applauded Nixon’s support for the needy — while the vast majority erupted in outrage and baffled amazement.
“Why don’t you leave the doors to your posh co-op unlocked, and the closets and freezer stocked. Those in need can come help themselves?” replied former prosecutor Thomas Kenniff, who is running for Manhattan DA.

Good point, Thomas! Those "limousine liberals" always want to be generous with other people's money.

 

[laughing dog]

From what I read, Ms Nixon was not advocating forgoing enforcement of shoplifting laws. She made the rather common sense observation that prosecuting them does not solve the problem of desperation and need.

 

[untermensche]

The humans capitalism does not need and cannot do anything productive with are refuse to be stepped on and thrown away.

 

[Shadowy Man]

The humans capitalism does not need and cannot do anything productive with are refuse to be stepped on and thrown away.

I think the successful capitalists have learned from history to keep these people satisfied just enough so that they don’t reach the nothing left to lose stage.

 

[untermensche]

The humans capitalism does not need and cannot do anything productive with are refuse to be stepped on and thrown away.

I think the successful capitalists have learned from history to keep these people satisfied just enough so that they don’t reach the nothing left to lose stage.

Right now the US is keeping a huge number of people in prison to partially mitigate the problem.

 

[Derec]

From what I read, Ms Nixon was not advocating forgoing enforcement of shoplifting laws.

I do not know how you can read "Miranda's" statements other than that she advocates just that, at least for certain types of perps.

She made the rather common sense observation that prosecuting them does not solve the problem of desperation and need.

I wonder how many of those shoplifters wear Nikes and have iPhones. US has plenty of social safety net programs. This is not revolutionary France. Nobody needs to steal a loaf of bread to survive.

 

[Derec]

The humans capitalism does not need and cannot do anything productive with are refuse to be stepped on and thrown away.

Or maybe they don't have money for diapers because they wasted all their money on fancy sneakers, iPhone 12 and/or booze/weed.

In any case, stealing is wrong, even if it is diapers.


Or clothing detergent.

 

[Derec]

I think the successful capitalists have learned from history to keep these people satisfied just enough so that they don’t reach the nothing left to lose stage.

US social safety net provides for basic needs. There is cash assistance (TANF, but also refundable tax credits like EITC and child tax credit, recently supersized by Biden), food assistance (SNAP), rent assistance, subsidized healthcare ... But it is not enough to satisfy wants and some people would rather steal than work for a living. I do not think we should or need to keep those people satisfied.

 

[Metaphor]

In context, Nixon re-tweeted someone called Errol Louis who said "Worth noting that several candidates for Manhattan DA (and for NYC Mayor) say shoplifting should not be prosecuted because that’s “criminalizing poverty.” "

I assume then that she not only thinks they (shoplifters) ought not be prosecuted, but that the items shouldn't be locked up, either.

I wonder how she'd feel if somebody stole from her multimillion dollar apartment?

 

[bilby]

I think the successful capitalists have learned from history to keep these people satisfied just enough so that they don’t reach the nothing left to lose stage.

US social safety net provides for basic needs.

Shit, there goes another rib.

 

[bilby]

In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets, and steal loaves of bread.

- Anatole France

 

[southernhybrid]

I think the successful capitalists have learned from history to keep these people satisfied just enough so that they don’t reach the nothing left to lose stage.

US social safety net provides for basic needs. There is cash assistance (TANF, but also refundable tax credits like EITC and child tax credit, recently supersized by Biden), food assistance (SNAP), rent assistance, subsidized healthcare ... But it is not enough to satisfy wants and some people would rather steal than work for a living. I do not think we should or need to keep those people satisfied.

I'm sure you must realize that in order to claim the EITC, you must work for a living. I'm not condoning shop lifting, but you seem to have a very uninformed opinion about what it's like to be working for the minimum wage or a dollar or two above the minimum wage. And it's hilarious that you mentioned TANF. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to receive TANF and how insanely low the TANF benefits are? Plus the T stands for temporary, and it's not even available to single adults without children. TANF is a joke.

My father grew up during the depression and he confessed to me that sometimes he had to steal food to survive. If you were penniless, and there were no jobs available, would you risk stealing to survive or would you simply let yourself die of starvation? Put yourself in the place of others before you judge so harshly. Again, I don't condone stealing, but I do understand that sometimes desperate people feel forced to do things that they normally wouldn't do.

Why not advocate for a much higher minimum wage so that poor workers wouldn't need so much help from government programs? I'm sure that you realize that by providing SNAP, and other aide, it's the employers who benefit the most, since it keeps them from having to provide a living wage to their employees.

 

[KeepTalking]

US social safety net provides for basic needs.

Says the guy on the side of those who are doing, and have done, everything they can conceivably think of to reduce or eliminate that social safety net.

You allude to the tragedy of Les Miserable in this thread, but we all know that if Jean Valjean was a contemporary black man in the US, you would be posting derogatory memes about him on a daily basis.

 

[TV and credit cards]

I thought the tweet meant there should be better ways of dealing with shoplifting by the very poor. (My ex worked loss prevention for many years. All kinds shoplift.) But dealing with the financial repercussions of shoplifting just makes their situation more dire. Not only the court cost/fine that may be involved but I know some stores will fine/bill the shoplifter also. Really, from the perspective of the poor person shoplifting, this in no different than the relationship they may experience with a payday lender. An act of financial desperation makes their financial situation more desperate.

I read the NYPost article while I was standing in the checkout with my groceries. I wonder why they had the two pictures of the man selling CVS items on the street. Is the reader to assume he stole them? Enquiring minds want to know.

But a New York Post story mostly about all the ill-considered responses to Cynthia Nixon's tweet. Super. What a source for news.

 

[laughing dog]

From what I read, Ms Nixon was not advocating forgoing enforcement of shoplifting laws.

I do not know how you can read "Miranda's" statements other than that she advocates just that, at least for certain types of perps.

The words in her statements as quoted do not say what you claim, even if she meant what you think.

I wonder how many of those shoplifters wear Nikes and have iPhones. US has plenty of social safety net programs. This is not revolutionary France. Nobody needs to steal a loaf of bread to survive.

Your are entitled to your opinion.

 

[ZiprHead]

I thought the tweet meant there should be better ways of dealing with shoplifting by the very poor. (My ex worked loss prevention for many years. All kinds shoplift.) But dealing with the financial repercussions of shoplifting just makes their situation more dire. Not only the court cost/fine that may be involved but I know some stores will fine/bill the shoplifter also. Really, from the perspective of the poor person shoplifting, this in no different than the relationship they may experience with a payday lender. An act of financial desperation makes their financial situation more desperate.

My wife worked at JC Penney's while going to school mumble mumble years ago. She caught an older, well-to-do, white woman switching price tags on clothing.

I took a girl out. We stopped at a store for something, I don't remember what. She showed me the bracelet she shoplifted while we were in there. I never took her out again.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Is your real name George Costanza?

 

[ZiprHead]

Is your real name George Costanza?

 

[Trausti]

From what I read, Ms Nixon was not advocating forgoing enforcement of shoplifting laws. She made the rather common sense observation that prosecuting them does not solve the problem of desperation and need.

But they should still be arrested and prosecuted; otherwise the store is likely to close (see San Francisco) which can be very harmful to a community.

 

[bilby]

From what I read, Ms Nixon was not advocating forgoing enforcement of shoplifting laws. She made the rather common sense observation that prosecuting them does not solve the problem of desperation and need.

But they should still be arrested and prosecuted; otherwise the store is likely to close (see San Francisco) which can be very harmful to a community.

If you provide them with the things that they need, you don't have to arrest or prosecute them, because they don't have to commit crimes in order to survive.

The punishment model of crime prevention through deterrence simply doesn't work. It never has, and yet it's always been hugely popular.

Constantly doing something that doesn't work and expecting it to work this time is just fucking stupid.

But nevertheless, every time there's an uptick in crime, there are millions of idiots clamouring for harsher punishments.