Washington Post Report Sparks Debate on Shoplifting 'Moral Panic'

A report argues shoplifting concerns are overblown, attributing them to ancestral guilt and capitalism, while critics accuse the publication of downplaying crime.

• A Washington Post report by Maura Judkis suggests the crime problem in major American cities, particularly shoplifting, has grown into a 'moral panic' attributed to ancestral guilt and capitalism.
• Judkis argues that the issue of shoplifting is being exaggerated by conservatives to stoke fear, despite varying crime data across cities.
• The report highlights a CVS in Columbia Heights, D.C., that was heavily looted, leading to its closure, as an example of the exaggerated crime narrative.
• Judkis cites economic factors, changes in policing, and CVS's non-confrontational policy towards shoplifters as reasons for the increase in theft.
• Critics accuse the Washington Post and Judkis of downplaying the crime issue and blaming capitalism and conservative narratives for the surge in retail theft.

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