Would you??

[giblets]

And I believe that if someone robbed a back for a buck and there was no weapon involved, they probably wouldn't receive any jail time.

I think, technically speaking, it's not called robbery if you don't have some kind of weapon.

[giblets]

Here is an analogy:

You are starving and have no way to earn money for food. You will be fed in prison at a cost of $1/day in food plus another $1/day to pay the guards.

What crime do you commit, assuming the penalties are the same? Do you assault someone, get caught on purpose, and charge society $2/day for your survival.

Or, do you steal $1 loaf of bread? You get caught, you charge society $2/day. You don't get caught, you eat your day's ration, and steal the next day and the next, charging society $1/day ad infinitum until you either die or get caught, then you resort to the $2/day rate.

Stealing and not getting caught is the ideal circumstance for society in this example. Of course, you will likely eventually get caught but by postponing the $2/day rate, your net drain on society is decreased.

makes sense?

no, because medical care costs a lot more than a loaf of bread. Concentrating the cost of medical treatment on one victim causes a lot more discomfort than spreading it out among millions of people.

[rah]

I think, technically speaking, it's not called robbery if you don't have some kind of weapon.

From Wikipedia
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force and/or by putting the victim in fear.


So a weapon isn't necessarily the difference maker. A big man could induce fear without a weapon.

[Al B. Sure!]

no, because medical care costs a lot more than a loaf of bread. Concentrating the cost of medical treatment on one victim causes a lot more discomfort than spreading it out among millions of people.

Unless we have a specific disease given here and there are average costs associated with the treatment for that disease, I only have this to consider:

In 2007, the U.S. spent $2.26 trillion on health care, or $7,439 per person

The average annual operating cost per state inmate in 2001 was $22,650

Obviously, per person and per inmate are two different things; obviously, spending per person does not tell anything about the average cost of a treatment for a person requiring treatment. But unless we have a disease given in this example, it's what we have to work with. Imprisonment is not cheap, either.

[Al B. Sure!]

no, because medical care costs a lot more than a loaf of bread. Concentrating the cost of medical treatment on one victim causes a lot more discomfort than spreading it out among millions of people.

Hey to the starving man who has no money, $1 for a loaf of bread is a lot. Concentrating the cost of a loaf of bread on one poor person causes a lot more discomfort than spreading it out among millions of people (that's fractions of a penny!)

[giblets]

Unless we have a specific disease given here and there are average costs associated with the treatment for that disease, I only have this to consider:





Obviously, per person and per inmate are two different things; obviously, spending per person does not tell anything about the average cost of a treatment for a person requiring treatment. But unless we have a disease given in this example, it's what we have to work with. Imprisonment is not cheap, either.

What a ridiculous comparison. The government only pays for health care for a fraction of the population.

[giblets]

Hey to the starving man who has no money, $1 for a loaf of bread is a lot. Concentrating the cost of a loaf of bread on one poor person causes a lot more discomfort than spreading it out among millions of people (that's fractions of a penny!)

Duh. Why else would you make the government pay for your health care instead of taking enough money from a bank?

[Al B. Sure!]

Duh. Why else would you make the government pay for your health care instead of taking enough money from a bank?

You may not know this but the money in a bank (or just about any but the smallest businesses) is insured

[giblets]

So your complaint is that the same result happens (society pays for their medical care) but they do the time for committing robbery instead of trying to get away with it?

[MrFun]

Why would I rob a bank for a dollar? I mightaswell rob the bank for the cost of my medical treatment and try to not get caught. If I do get caught, hey, medical treatment. If I don't, more power to me.

This entire thread is nonsensical.

Well this nonsensical situation actually happened - CNN covered an incident recently where a guy robbed a bank for one dollar in order to get health care in prison.

By the way, what should my punishment be for using too many commas in my OP?

[SlowwHand]

In the first place, it's not too many. So you get a -1 for improper identification.

[MrFun]

okay

[SlowwHand]

Oh, WTF. Here, take this +2.

[MrFun]

Oh joy!

[DaShi]

Would you steal one dollar from a bank, so you can get the health care you need, while in prison?

Depends on the dollar.