Can theft be moral?

[Ravi]

Sometimes it is immoral not to steal.

 

[LOki]

It is not moral for you to do based on your moral beliefs.

It is only immoral for me to do because by moral belief happens to be the same as yours.

Ah, yes--moral relativism.

However, try this little scenario. Think in terms of the movie "Red Dawn." I'm sure you have it on VHS and DVD and know the script by heart.

You're an insurgent. Your country is occupied by an enemy military force. Everything you steal from your enemy helps you, and takes away from your enemy's ability to wage war against you.

Is it moral to steal?

I think it's arguable that what you're describing is not precisely stealing--it's a protracted self defense action against an aggressor who wrongly initiated violence.

 

[LOki]

Is it moral to steal if the situtation is NOT an emergency but a consistent pattern of injustice that is constantly putting you and your family in peril?

No.

For one example...it is immoral for let's say a Soviet peasant to steal from the communist overlords?

No.

Do we say yes, "Because those damned Commies control what they stole from the people"?

No.

Okay...now lets take this issue down the road of history a bit, shall we?

Let us look at one generation later, when communism has been overthrown and blessed capitalism finally installed.

Now the children of the FORMER communist overlords have all the means of production because it worked out that their fathers, who had the power during the transition phase, STILL somehow ended up with all the wealth only this time they own it as their private property.

Is it immoral for the Russian peasants to steal from their capitalist overlords who are but one generation removed from the thefts of their fathers, the communist overlords?

No.

 

[LOki]

Sometimes it is immoral not to steal.

Example, please.