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[Fools idol]

It seems like every single day I get multiple videos of large gangs of people looting stores in the USA on my social media feed.

Is this some kind of nefarious algorithm activity that I am being pumped / magnified looting videos for some reason, or is there really a big problem with gangs of looters in America right now?

It's really hard to say what is real / exagerated / outright fake footage these days, but this does appear to be a big problem from the outside looking in.

Examples;

 

[Thaedolus]

Is this some kind of nefarious algorithm activity that I am being pumped / magnified looting videos for some reason

Yes.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

MSN

I just saw this. It's definitely a problem.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

From what I've read, certain states, such as California have essentially stopped prosecuting or bothering with retail theft valued less than $1000? This has essentially creates an atmosphere where the fear over stealing has vanished.

 

[SJRB]

Yes.

So there are no daily lootings going on in the US right now?

 

[JimmyRustler]

From what I've read, certain states, such as California have essentially stopped prosecuting or bothering with retail theft valued less than $1000? This has essentially creates an atmosphere where the fear over stealing has vanished.

Still boggels my mind... Too much crime... Well, let's just make crime legal.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Still boggels my mind... Too much crime... Well, let's just make crime legal.

Another business flees San Francisco crime - Washington Examiner

Yet another business is packing up and leaving San Francisco as crime continues to scare away business owners and residents alike.Cotopaxi is shuttering its San Francisco location less than a year after it opened. CEO Davis Smith said the company was robbed less than a week after it opened, with...

www.washingtonexaminer.com

"Organized retail theft has plagued San Francisco thanks to California making theft of less than $950 in goods a nonviolent misdemeanor."

 

[Thaedolus]

So there are no daily lootings going on in the US right now?

That’s not the question I was responding to

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Certain types will say its all down to economic conditions, but I'd say it's largely cultural and how much worth people hold in the society too. Theft, whether petty (like a chocolate bar) or something more serious in some countries is largely unthinkable by the vast majority of the populace. Lets say Japan and Singapore.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Yes.

Retail theft is also up quite a bit in the UK.

Tesco staff offered body cameras over crime fears

It follows similar moves by other retailers and daily incidents rising from 450 a day, up to 850.

www.bbc.co.uk

Organised shoplifting on the rise, says Waitrose

The supermarket reports a hike in cases, with an MP saying gangs are "operating with impunity".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Thaedolus]

Retail theft is also up quite a bit in the UK.

Tesco staff offered body cameras over crime fears

It follows similar moves by other retailers and daily incidents rising from 450 a day, up to 850.

www.bbc.co.uk

Organised shoplifting on the rise, says Waitrose

The supermarket reports a hike in cases, with an MP saying gangs are "operating with impunity".

www.bbc.co.uk

OP is posting at least two examples from Ian Miles Cheong, who’s a completely transparent grifter who trades on peddling this shit. I don’t doubt the stats but to act like any time you walk into a retail outlet in America it’s being robbed is ridiculous.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

OP is posting at least two examples from Ian Miles Cheong, who’s a completely transparent grifter who trades on peddling this shit. I don’t doubt the stats but to act like any time you walk into a retail outlet in America it’s being robbed is ridiculous.

Nobody has said that. The facts are that you do have major retailers closing up shop in certain areas though. You can look at the areas that are closing and come to whatever conclusion you want.

 

[Wildebeest]

I almost never hear about looting in the US. I don't see how it is major world news in any way.

 

[VN1X]

Be careful Fools idol you don't want to be one of those pattern recognition people.

 

[CrankyJay™]

I swear those accounts in the OP are bots or something, or highly boosted accounts by Elon himself. They're all over my feed as well and I don't follow them.

 

[winjer]

We humans, have a more visceral reaction to bad news, than to good news. And news agencies as well as social media platforms strongly capitalize on it.
So there is a strong bias to show more crimes and bad news, to get more engagement. The result is that a lot of media has a skewed vision of reality, that is a lot more bleak and negative.

 

[Kilau]

It’s both, you’ve got the accounts that boost these thefts and you have laws that basically encourage them.

Target says it will close nine stores in major cities, citing violence and theft

It's the latest move related to theft for Target, which has been outspoken about the industrywide problem of organized retail crime.

www.cnbc.com

Yes it’s a real problem, yes you’ve got the algorithm taint.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

From what I've read, certain states, such as California have essentially stopped prosecuting or bothering with retail theft valued less than $1000? This has essentially creates an atmosphere where the fear over stealing has vanished.

I've heard something similar.
I'm not saying that the potential for what I'm about to say being problematic isn't there but I wonder if they could just set up a dedicated court to process shoplifting. It seems like the evidence is quite easy to obtain, given that half these people are filming themselves. Even if you're not giving custodial sentences, fines, house arrest, and community service would be options, right?

I guess the problem there is in enforcing those things.

Really, I assume the bigger problem is that there's apparently no shame in being a thief any more. And that's at all strata of society, from the CEOs and politicians to people opportunistically stealing some running shoes.

 

[Fools idol]

OP is posting at least two examples from Ian Miles Cheong, who’s a completely transparent grifter who trades on peddling this shit. I don’t doubt the stats but to act like any time you walk into a retail outlet in America it’s being robbed is ridiculous.

I genuinely had no idea who the guy was (I just posted the top 3 videos that were on my feed this very morning). Did a little bit of a lookup just now and indeed, this guy apparently doesn't even live in the USA at all which is odd, he lives somewhere in Malaysia.

Trying to work out what his angle is exactly. Perhaps he is paid by <insertconspiracyhere> to promote this for some reason. Either way tho with that said, the content he is posting appears to be depicting real events this past few weeks.

 

[CrankyJay™]

I genuinely had no idea who the guy was (I just posted the top 3 videos that were on my feed this very morning). Did a little bit of a lookup just now and indeed, this guy apparently doesn't even live in the USA at all which is odd, he lives somewhere in Malaysia.

Trying to work out what his angle is exactly. Perhaps he is paid by <insertconspiracyhere> to promote this for some reason. Either way tho with that said, the content he is posting appears to be depicting real events this past few weeks.

It's good business to pander to that audience, but the signal boosting he gets is awfully suspicious.

 

[LordCBH]

Still boggels my mind... Too much crime... Well, let's just make crime legal.

And they’re reaping the rewards as businesses pull out of these locations. One day they’ll learn.

 

[Ellery]

Yeah I regularly screw up my algos as well.

Not saying bad shit doesn't happen, but often the algos put you in a bubble for a little while and completely oversaturate you with whatever you currently have your attention or accidentally stepped into.

But for those who have their eyes open know that this is also what you should see. World is changing and some can feel it. We know the direction we are going and it honestly isn't what most on neogaf fear. That time is over.

The biggest fool on earth imho is the person who makes fun of the past and how religion and institutions could influence and manipulate masses of people, but himself not being able to acknowledge what is actually going on in our present.

We are extremely dumb and only the smarter in hindsight.

Violence, misbehavior, looting, manipulation, lying, cheating, etc. all is picking up and now we are supposed to see it.

 

[HoodWinked]

This one was somewhat recent as well kids came in stole some cigarettes but for no reason just wail on the clerk.

I dunno you put yourself in thier shoes, they likely dropped out of school, many did because of the lockdowns and a year of remote learning. Once a kid goes a couple weeks without school they're less likely to return. Also probably no future, so they just live in the moment. Break into cars, steal shit, knockout game.

 

[NikuNashi]

Living in Japan, US looks like a hell hole. Never seen any crime here in 15 years. People respect each other and confirm to society's expectations.

 

[AJUMP23]

It is a major problem and it is a large portion of the videos on Public freakout or actual public freakout that involve theft and looting of stores. If crime has no consequences, then expect no change in behavior.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

This one was somewhat recent as well kids came in stole some cigarettes but for no reason just wail on the clerk.
I dunno you put yourself in thier shoes, they likely dropped out of school, many did because of the lockdowns and a year of remote learning. Once a kid goes a couple weeks without school they're less likely to return. Also probably no future, so they just live in the moment. Break into cars, steal shit, knockout game.

I hope those punches have as little force behind them as they appear to have, but while I am generally sympathetic to people's situation, I'd say that the robbery is one thing but the method's despicable. Outnumbered 5:1 - they didn't need to use violence at all, certainly not sustained violence.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Living in Japan, US looks like a hell hole. Never seen any crime here in 15 years. People respect each other and confirm to society's expectations.

Kiryu and the rest of the Yakuza run a tight ship

 

[a multicultural team of v]

and

‘This Is Ridiculous’: CNN Crew in San Fran Targeted by Thieves while Doing Story on Rampant Crime

Members of a CNN crew had their bags stolen out of their rental car while on assignment at San Francisco's city hall for a story about the city's rampant crime.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Dural]

OP is posting at least two examples from Ian Miles Cheong, who’s a completely transparent grifter who trades on peddling this shit. I don’t doubt the stats but to act like any time you walk into a retail outlet in America it’s being robbed is ridiculous.

Living in Japan, US looks like a hell hole. Never seen any crime here in 15 years. People respect each other and confirm to society's expectations.

No, this doesn't happen everywhere in the US. It is relegated to the states and cities that have been run by a bunch of idiots for decades. If you stay away from the biggest cities in the US you're not going to ever see anything like this. I've lived in a fairly rural area about 1.5 hours from Chicago, I grew up never locking my door and am still like that to this day.

 

[AJUMP23]

I would probably lock my door.

 

[AJUMP23]

Person made the mistake of walking in Chicago.



Philly last night




Free clothes




And there are a lot more.

 

[Dural]

I would probably lock my door.

The worst thing I have to worry about is kids ding dong ditching on the weekends or in the summer, there is seriously no crime here. If I drive 10 miles north or south there are larger cities that have some issues, but rarely do they make it to the town I live in. My front door is unlocked right now, it is every day when I leave for work. Never had a package stolen off my porch. I'm part of the nextdoor app and I've never seen anyone mention anything like that happening, the worst you see is like I said, Karens complaining about ding dong ditchers and cats roaming the neighborhood.

 

[AJUMP23]

The worst thing I have to worry about is kids ding dong ditching on the weekends or in the summer, there is seriously no crime here. If I drive 10 miles north or south there are larger cities that have some issues, but rarely do they make it to the town I live in. My front door is unlocked right now, it is every day when I leave for work. Never had a package stolen off my porch. I'm part of the nextdoor app and I've never seen anyone mention anything like that happening, the worst you see is like I said, Karens complaining about ding dong ditchers and cats roaming the neighborhood.

can you ding gong ditch with doorbell cameras so prevalent now?

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Living in Japan, US looks like a hell hole. Never seen any crime here in 15 years. People respect each other and confirm to society's expectations.

I largely agree with you, but will counter slightly and say I experienced plenty of anti social behavior in Japan whilst living there. Mostly around drunks who at least once a week would wake me up by screaming outside in the early hours and wake up others too. Lots of other erratic behavior from drunks, which is expected.

But yes you're right, there's an underlying overwhelming expectation in there society to not steal, not be loud, not cause a nuisance to others and generally be a good citizen as this benefits wider society. In the West I don't think we consider the consequence rampant liberalism will have on society in the long term to the degree parts of Asia does. We can now start to see the results of that.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

Philly last night

Oh shit, last night I was on the Market Frankford subway and when I walked on there were like 7-10 young guys dressed head to toe in black, and I remember this only because literally every single one of them was wearing a North Face top, like it looked like they were in some sort of sponsored North Face gang it was kind of funny.

Now I realize it was because they probably robbed a store that sells North Face clothing the last time there was a big looting mob like this, and they were on the way to the mob looting in these videos.

 

[GeekyDad]

I wonder if it could possibly be linked to the meth epidemic.

 

[ResilientBanana]

It's hard not to point out the elephant in the room.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

I wonder if it could possibly be linked to the meth epidemic.

Nah, that just creates thousands of mindless zombie homeless people that stumble around cities clogging sidewalks and parks, and wandering into street traffic - a totally different disaster that nobody in power is doing anything to fix.

 

[Thaedolus]

I genuinely had no idea who the guy was (I just posted the top 3 videos that were on my feed this very morning). Did a little bit of a lookup just now and indeed, this guy apparently doesn't even live in the USA at all which is odd, he lives somewhere in Malaysia.

Trying to work out what his angle is exactly. Perhaps he is paid by <insertconspiracyhere> to promote this for some reason. Either way tho with that said, the content he is posting appears to be depicting real events this past few weeks.

Wasn’t trying to drag you or anything, but yeah it’s not that complicated: dude tried to make it online as a normal person, then realized he gets clicks by posting things that cause outrage. The algorithms promote things that cause outrage. Go figure.

 

[NahaNago]

It's more in certain very small number of cities in the U.S. A part of it is being soft on crime, the culture, and social media.

I honestly forgot these lootings were still happening since I stopped watching that type of content.

 

[Shadowplay1979]

Living in Japan, US looks like a hell hole. Never seen any crime here in 15 years. People respect each other and confirm to society's expectations.

cmon man be honest, we have horrible crime here in tokyo...why just last weekend i saw a drunk guy get angry and yell

 

[CrankyJay™]

Is there even a point to looting an Apple Store, at least for their own devices? I'm pretty sure they have inventory tracking and can just disable them. Does that make them good for parts only?

 

[swaffles23]

Yes it's bad in democrat states and cities.

 

[Hudo]

Martin Looter King would be proud.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Is there even a point to looting an Apple Store, at least for their own devices? I'm pretty sure they have inventory tracking and can just disable them. Does that make them good for parts only?

I don't think so, Apple now codes parts together, the camera module from one phone can't be put into another unless you do it through a licensed service centre.

This is, not at all a way to make sure you're not able to get your device repaired once Apple decide it's no good (even if you have no problems with it's performance), but is a way of making your phone more secure. They're all heart.

 

[AlteredForms]

Martin Looter King would be proud.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

US got thievery issues. And it seems like the policing doesn’t have the manpower or willpower to stop it.

During the Floyd riots I think only a handful of stores got trashed in Toronto/Montreal. There was one article that was a big deal because a music store got looted in one of these cities where vandals stole guitars. That was the big looting news article the last 3 years.

 

[NickFire]

US got thievery issues. And it seems like the policing doesn’t have the manpower or willpower to stop it.

During the Floyd riots I think only a handful of stores got trashed in Toronto/Montreal. There was one article that was a big deal because a music store got looted in one of these cities where vandals stole guitars. That was the big looting news article the last 3 years.

The major issues making life uncomfortable in certain cities are 100% caused by stupid people's dumb idea's being held out as intellectually superior to common sense. Full stop.

 

[12Goblins]

It's hard not to point out the elephant in the room.

Which is?