What is the reason for the massive retail looting?

[Eftsoon]

As always it's a combination of everything mentioned thus far. Civil unrest is rising, prices are rising, societal order nearly broke down completely. Times are a little apocalyptic at the moment. The American project is winding down, new forms of power and global organisation are emerging. The times are a changin' as the song goes. A sort of collective madness descends on people at such times. There's a sense of 'grab what you can before the world burns to the ground'. We're approaching an ending of sorts. I don't think it's the end of the world as we know it, but the next decade is definitely going to bring some paradigm shifts.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I suppose you believe what they say on faith alone then? Yet you seem unable to produce a basis for having that faith. BTW what do I have to do with this? I haven't put forward any surveys for anyone to check the reliability of validity of. Are you suggesting that there is no difference between checking the reliability and validity of my opinions and checking the validity and reliability of the claims of facts in the surveys of the Economic Policy Institute?


Did you have anything to add in regard to the rest of my post concerning whether the thieves were one and the same as those respondents that claimed that employers stole from the employees?

You can complain about my sources, or you can Google "wage theft in the US" and find one of your own.

I don't care which.

 

[eleos1954]

No doubt there are multiple reasons. Some will blame all this on the pandemic and others on inflation, while some will even point to a reduction in police ranks around the country. Personally, I am 100% convinced that the key reason is the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police and related cases like it. What think the rest of you?

People are extremely frustrated about many things and some are acting out their frustration(s). Don't think one can point it out to one specific thing.

 

[Astrid]

People are extremely frustrated about many things and some are acting out their frustration(s). Don't think one can point it out to one specific thing.

"Get away with it"

 

[grasping the after wind]

I'm pretty sure law enforcement is all over this issue. But its hard to be everywhere at once. And the shotgun behind the counter is not going to fly at the Hermes boutique.

The real problem storefront retail faces is e-commerce. What is the govt doing about that? What should it do?

Government has no role in that. It does have a role in making sure thieves are not able to ransack businesses. E commerce is also at risk when people's packages are pilfered from their front porches. The resulting inflation is a small inconvenience to the rich but a very real problem for the poor and middle class. That is perhaps why those in government (mostly rich and living in gated communities) think defunding the police is fine. They, after all, have their own private security to keep themselves and their property safe.

 

[Sparagmos]

Ruining people's livelihood is a fairly heinous fad. There is organized robbery going on not just a few dolts using leftist ideological excuses for their bad behavior because they saw it on Youtube.

Yes, it’s organized robbery. I’m not minimizing it by saying it’s a fad, just that they got the idea from seeing that other people did it. It has nothing to do with leftist ideology.

who’s livelihood is it ruining though? I don’t know many details so maybe it’s worse than I thought?

 

[Sparagmos]

We can only hope that it is a passing fad. If this trend were to continue and get worse, our current inflation rate may seem tame in 6-12 months, as stores will have to raise prices all the more.

If it gets so bad it causes widespread inflation, I’d be far more concerned that so many people are turning to crime/have given up on the social contract. I don’t care if consumer electronics cost more, it would keep us from overconsumption.

 

[Sparagmos]

Employers steal an estimated $8 billion from workers every year... perhaps some folks see it as just and deserved retribution?

I was just thinking about that! This pales in comparison to wage theft, for which no employer goes to jail.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I was just thinking about that! This pales in comparison to wage theft, for which no employer goes to jail.

"Boss makes a dollar; I make a dime,
That's why I [defecate] on company time."
-- graffiti in office bathroom.

We've gotten accustomed to being used and discarded by a dehumanizing economic system; We've learned to not just accept, but revel in our tiny little tricks to work the system, no matter how small or insignificant, because we perceive it as fighting back...

...maybe some people are simply thinking bigger?

 

[Always in His Presence]

No doubt there are multiple reasons. Some will blame all this on the pandemic and others on inflation, while some will even point to a reduction in police ranks around the country. Personally, I am 100% convinced that the key reason is the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police and related cases like it. What think the rest of you?

I believe there are two mitigating factors:

1. Greed
2. The police not pressing charges.

 

[essentialsaltes]

2. The police not pressing charges.

Where is that happening?

LAPD announces 14 arrests in connection with recent smash-and-grab robberies

 

[Astrid]

Where is that happening?

LAPD announces 14 arrests in connection with recent smash-and-grab robberies

Tiny fraction
Looting was going on unopposed all over the
country in the riots.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Tiny fraction
Looting was going on unopposed all over the
country in the riots.

It's not clear to me if the OP is about the current apparent rash of smash and grab robberies at high end boutiques, or the looting associated with actual riots a year ago. Regardless, the police also made arrests for those, both at the time, and in the months afterwards as people were identified. Many people were not charged for curfew violations, but I doubt people arrested for looting were not charged.

Hundreds arrested in Santa Monica amid widespread looting

 

[essentialsaltes]

Where is that happening?

LAPD announces 14 arrests in connection with recent smash-and-grab robberies

As concerns and political criticism rise over a rash of brazen retail thefts across California, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced a package of grants for police agencies and prosecutors to crack down on the organized crime rings believed to be largely responsible.

Newsom said the $270 million in grant money, as well as $25 million for small businesses victimized by theft, will be in his proposed budget when it’s released in January. [it has now been released, and that item is indeed in there]

 

[Brihaha]

Americans have been suffering for a couple years. Seriously suffering from financial woes, job losses, unexpected deaths in families and an extremely polarized society. And mental health in America was a problem BEFORE the pandemic even came here. Problems have exacerbated for most Americans who aren't billionaires during these trying times. TLK points out the anger caused by employer wage theft and it is likely a contributing factor. This behavior is the culmination of unaddressed problems that have become unsustainable for freedom and happiness in middle and lower class America. Politicians are not helping anything but the growing tribalism and their own self-interests. Which is quite a contributing factor itself.

 

[Albion]

The reason for the sharp increase in these kinds of events most probably owes to the fact that the perpetrators know that they can get away with them now, whereas they were much less likely to be able to pull them off in past years and succeed at it.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

It's due to the systemic racism that the Republicans keep perpetuating in all their policies and platform.

 

[JustOneWay]

"Boss makes a dollar; I make a dime,
That's why I [defecate] on company time."
-- graffiti in office bathroom.

Really?

From my viewpoint, "Boss makes 10 dollars; I make a dime,

 

[RDKirk]

It's due to the systemic racism that the Republicans keep perpetuating in all their policies and platform.

I'm not sure whether you forgot your Poe tags, but these incidents are occurring in cities and often states where Democrat policies reign.

 

[RDKirk]

The reason for the sharp increase in these kinds of events most probably owes to the fact that the perpetrators know that they can get away with them now, whereas they were much less likely to be able to pull them off in past years and succeed at it.

Making a theft up to $1000 a misdemeanor is certainly part of it.