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Do you consider 'snitches' or 'informants' to be bad people?

Tom_Cruise

Should they turn a blind eye to crime and just get on with their own lives?

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Pumpkinseeds

I always smile when I see or hear people use the term 'Rats' to refer to people who have provided information to the Gardaí. Generally the people who use that term are the sort, broadly speaking, who have been reported to the Gardaí for some sort of offence:D

end of the road

twinQuins wrote: »

I'm curious to get to the bottom of this strain of thought that sees it as okay to defraud or otherwise cheat the state.

So, why is tax evasion (for the little man, of course, once you're rich it's not okay, another one of those bizarre hypocrisies) or simply not paying it alright and reporting people engaged in it seen as touting/ratting/etc.?

if you are the type to report it even in good times fair enough, the ones i have a problem with are those who wouldn't have dreamt to report during the boom but now because theirs a recession feel they have a "sivic moral duty" to do so when infact their only doing it because their jealous of the next door neighbour who has the doal but is doing a couple of little jobs on the side, i'm not saying the neighbour is right but they don't call us the land of begrudgers for nothing now do they?

touts

People complain about taxes being too high but won't inform on Mary down the road who is claiming single parents allowance while living with the boyfriend and doing hairdressing nixers for cash.

People complain about politicians being in the pocket of developers but won't inform on John who got his local Cllr to sort out planning for a massive extension that was initially turned down.

People complain about drug dealers poisoning our youth but won't inform on Old Mick selling some of his viagra nd sleeping pills to local kids.

People complain about the rise of violent crime but won't inform on young Dano who got absolutely pissed one night and glassed a tourist.

People complain about child abuse but won't inform on the Ryan family where little Kate always seems to have strange bruises.

People complain about the roads being dangerous but won't inform on the Steve who tears up the local road at 100mph on his high powered motorcycle.

People complain about the increasing amount of robberies but won't inform on your man down the market who always seems to be selling his "old laptop" even though he sold one every week for the last 6 months.

People complain about home heating oil being robbed but won't inform on the guy Mick knows who you can buy it from for half price because he gets it cheap "somewhere".

Can't have it every way you know!

Conor Bourke

Fantastic, I have this in my head now. Thanks OP :mad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtILxBszyf8

dark crystal

Depends on who or what they're reporting.

Someone reporting a serious crime against another person - great.

Someone reporting someone down on their luck, doing a couple of nixers here and there to put food on the table - being a dick.

Unfortunately, a lot of the time, there seem to be more people doing the second type of reporting than the first type.

OldGoat

Not entirely. I've no qualms about pointing the finger.

MaxSteele

OldGoat wrote: »

I'll turn anyone in for anything. Litter, double parking, your dog ****ting on the path, walking on the grass...whatever.
If you are collecting dole and then working a cash in hand job I'll report you.
No insurance on your car, I'll dob you in.
No TV license? I'll drop a dime on ya.
"We'll buy your car for cash" notice stuck up on the traffic lights? I'll report them to the Litter patrol.

Ultimately they are taking money out of my pocket and I'm gonna stop them doing that.

<cue rightous fanfare>
It's what The Citizen would do.
/Finger hovering over the phone dial

Piss take ?

Snake Pliisken

speedboatchase wrote: »

He's a snivelling little coward and rape suspect that should finally leave that embassy. Funny how he has no problem flaunting the law in his quest to free classified information yet he will jump through every single legal loophole he can find to avoid a police station, while cosying up to Ecuador, that bastion of democracy and open dialogue for journalists. *cough*

The only way you'll see an end to the present problems of this world is if we have complete transparency in governmental dealings, hidden power is what's causing the disparities of the world.

Complete accountability is something that the governments of the world preach to their populations while doing the complete opposite themselves, endemic and assimilated corruption has led to the antagonism of the middle east and lies solely in the laps of the western powers that are out to commoditize and rape the natural resources of those in the ****tier parts of the world(you know, where the oil, lithium and people they haven't convinced to buy all their ****e yet are).

Assange is no angel but at least he's managing to fly in the face of those that think of humanity and the earth's resources as nothing more than a way to keep their imperialist machine going for one more filthy moment. I'm even suspect of the charges brought against him, the cases have a really weird history and seem very convenient for those that'd like to tarnish his reputation(that's not something the American Secret Services are known for, is it?)...

As for his use of law and his pallyness with Ecuador, Assange is playing by their rules and winning(for now) and pleaase point to the government he was supposed to go to for help heading off America?

OldGoat

I'll turn anyone in for anything. Litter, double parking, your dog ****ting on the path, walking on the grass...whatever.
If you are collecting dole and then working a cash in hand job I'll report you.
No insurance on your car, I'll dob you in.
No TV license? I'll drop a dime on ya.
"We'll buy your car for cash" notice stuck up on the traffic lights? I'll report them to the Litter patrol.

Ultimately they are taking money out of my pocket and I'm gonna stop them doing that.

<cue rightous fanfare>
It's what The Citizen would do.
/Finger hovering over the phone dial

biko

Don't do the crime if you can't take the heat in the kitchen.

It kinda surprises me that some people think they should be allowed to get away with crime just because there is some honour system to not "snitch".
As I see it, if you see a crime and don't report it you're:
a) condoning it - not ok.
b) too afraid to do something about it - ok, we all get scared sometimes.

Tombi!

Not every crime is equal.
I suppose it'd depend a lot on the crime.
Someone parking in a spot that they shouldn't be is the same as someone who's dealing drugs to kids.

jaspertheghost

only if there snitching on me...

Cienciano

If you're getting the blame for something that someone won't own up to, then snitch away. That works on a schoolyard level, right up to a legal level.

speedboatchase

Zascar wrote: »

Are we talking the likes of Julian Assange etc? If so, no. He's a modern day hero exposing horrific activities at the highest levels of power that should be brought to light so that people don't try to get away with this stuff in the future...

He's a snivelling little coward and rape suspect that should finally leave that embassy. Funny how he has no problem flaunting the law in his quest to free classified information yet he will jump through every single legal loophole he can find to avoid a police station, while cosying up to Ecuador, that bastion of democracy and open dialogue for journalists. *cough*

Biggins

NiallSparky wrote: »

Yeah, it's amusing alright...:rolleyes:

Best not to feed it.

Amirani

PureDacent wrote: »

I can't stand rats but sure ya can't complain as it is quite emusing to see them get beat to an inch of there lives

Yeah, it's amusing alright...:rolleyes:

PureDacent

I can't stand rats but sure ya can't complain as it is quite emusing to see them get beat to an inch of there lives

Scruffles

Odysseus wrote: »

I don't know if that applies to all cases, I know plenty of people who have experienced abuse and they do not wish to report for various reasons. IWhat other terrible crimes would you include here?

abuse of vulnerable adults such as elderly and disabled in residential or nursing homes shoud be included there, one case in the public eye which has recently ended was the winterbourne institution scandal in england,very serious abuse of learning disabled adults-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-20078999
have also personaly experienced serious abuse [physical,mental,sensory and sexual] in institutional and residential care and there is a lot of corruption that goes on- staff protecting staff; we have our mental capacity brought into it and made to look like we havent got a clue what is going on, have whistle blown for a number of residents in the past and woud do it again.

have also reported benefit frauds, specificaly have reported people frauding disability living allowance because it is tough enough for genuinely disabled people to get,and there is this small minority of frauds [0.5% official fraud rate] being used to represent all of us who claim DLA genuinely,these are the individuals who are able to spend it on luxury items and not essential needs from disability.

woud also report non disabled people parking in disabled parking bays if support staff of mine bothered to pass it on as am not able to verbaly communicate it to them.
people without blue badges do not have any care for those they affect,they think they are not going to be in long and that makes it ok-some of us are unable to park anywhere other than disability bays due to how our disabilities affects us and that then has a knock on effect on our entire day; our quality of life,ability just to get out and independance.

people who have an issue with reporting dont realise how badly they are affected by frauds getting away with it,it puts up costs for the genuine/innocent.

MaxSteele

Again depends on the context.

Would I report a burglar, joyrider, vicious psychopath who attacks random people ? Without a doubt.

Snitches and informants usually apply to those who feel the model citizen need to report someone maybe doing nixers, no TV licence, out of date car tax or selling a bit of grass. You get the gist.

Bad Santa

Odysseus wrote: »

however, some people who have access to that type of knowledge sometimes just don't have the strenght of character to become a whistle blower. I'm not sure if we should just write of these people as being just as bad as the actual offender.

Indeed and from the smallest aspect of whistle blowing, to just standing up and saying that you have bullied by people in more established and well liked positions that they are, to the very large examples such as Jeffrey Wigand, the common denominator is that at first, you will pay a price for what you are saying.

Almost without exception, the first thing that happens those who out people in positions of power, is that they will attempt (and quite often succeed) in discrediting that person almost to the point of unrecognizability. People they once thought as friends will turn on them and believe that there is no smoke without fire and even after the truth is well and truly out and mud slung is seen as precisely that, some of it unfortunately will have stuck.

So yes, without question, it takes bottle to raise your head above the parapet and say things that will not be received well and that will most likely destroy any good standing that you have in a particular circle.

ITS_A_BADGER

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

A crimes a crime.

I agree, but reporting someone for not having a tv licence or not paying tax on their car is being a busybody, reporting someone for selling drugs im all for

kristian12

It would depend on the crime. Would i report someone for mugging an old dear? Or breaking into someones house? Withou a doubt i would. Would i tell the security guard in tescos the woman in front of me hadn't paid for her bread? Or tell the gards the bloke across the road is driving without tax? No, yet all are stealing. I suppose its a question of our own moral values.

Odysseus

Biggins wrote: »

Certainly the feelings of the victim should be taken into account.
Where thats not possible, its the moral duty (I feel) that such crimes should be reported.

My definition range of "various crimes" would almost certainly differ in some way to all elses - but generally those that are capable of effecting people immediately badly in stress, worry, and loss, as well as more longer term effects which might never see them rest back into an average normal emotional calm.

Just personally I suppose though some of it would be professional it depends on context for me. I have seen people bullied into reporting abusers, I can't agree with that.

I'm also against the reporting g guidelines imposed on me in work, though I'm not effected by them in private work.

In order for people to move on, they need to talk about the type of criminality they where involved in; if they think I am going to report them they won't talk about it.

I do think that we need to provide support for those people who take risk to expose criminal and unethical behaviour; however, some people who have access to that type of knowledge sometimes just don't have the strenght of character to become a whistle blower. I'm not sure if we should just write of these people as being just as bad as the actual offender.

I'm not sure, it is a complex area and I certainly don't have all the ideas

Duggys Housemate

ITS_A_BADGER wrote: »

Depends if they're just reporting on neighbours or actually real crimes either way id be very carefull about doing my business when they are around

A crimes a crime.

ITS_A_BADGER

Depends if they're just reporting on neighbours or actually real crimes either way id be very carefull about doing my business when they are around

Biggins

Odysseus wrote: »

I don't know if that applies to all cases, I know plenty of people who have experienced abuse and they do not wish to report for various reasons. What other terrible crimes would you include here?

Certainly the feelings of the victim should be taken into account.
Where thats not possible, its the moral duty (I feel) that such crimes should be reported.

My definition range of "various crimes" would almost certainly differ in some way to all elses - but generally those that are capable of effecting people immediately badly in stress, worry, and loss, as well as more longer term effects which might never see them rest back into an average normal emotional calm.

Duggys Housemate

Whistleblowers are often brave people. Braver than keyboard warriors.

Odysseus

Biggins wrote: »

People who tell and expose others crimes are necessary.
Anyone that definitely keeps their mouth shut about perverts, child abuse and other terrible crimes, are themselves condemning themselves to be seen as also rotten to the core.

I don't know if that applies to all cases, I know plenty of people who have experienced abuse and they do not wish to report for various reasons. IWhat other terrible crimes would you include here?

Biggins

Tom_Cruise wrote: »

Do you consider 'snitches' or 'informants' to be bad people?
Should they turn a blind eye to crime and just get on with their own lives?

Ironic question coming from a member called Tom Cruise - when the real Tom Cruise is apparently willing to turn a blind eye to bad people!

People who tell and expose others crimes are necessary.
Anyone that definitely keeps their mouth shut about perverts, child abuse and other terrible crimes, are themselves condemning themselves to be seen as also rotten to the core.

ArtyM

Scrap metal is becoming big business these days, scumbags seem to see it as easy cash and consider anything not nailed down as fair game.
Roadsigns, manhole covers, even frames from kids playgrounds are being stolen for scrap metal.
If I knew the identity of someone who removed a sign warning of a dangerous bend ahead, or a manhole cover - leaving a dangerous exposed hole in a footpath, or the f**king slides that kids play on. Would I give them up?
Abso F**kin lootley.