[diemos]

My father worked on building a power transmission line in Zaire in the early 80's. Their greatest problem was that just as soon as they erected a power pylon the locals would come by and dismantle it for scrap. Now we hear stories of copper thefts, air conditioners going missing, manhole covers being stolen, etc.

Will civilization end when we can no longer have any public infrastructure because the desperate keep dismantling it to sell for food as fast as we can put it up?

[Twilight]

That sort of activity was the norm throughout the FSU through the 1990s. Actually there is a low background rate of such theft in every country in the world, and you need a pretty severe collapse to create conditions in which it outpaces repairs. Eventually yes, it can take on the characteristics of a feedback loop as in Iraq.

[SILENTTODD]

One of the teachings of the Koran I do admire is you cut off the hand of the thief. It prevents them from repeating the act in the future, and serves as an object lesson to all who would emulate their crime.

Of course in the old west (America) they just shot them dead!

[Concerned]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SILENTTODD', '
')Of course in the old west (America) they just shot them dead!

[kevincarter]