“Fire employees who confront thieves” brings 21.5M results on Google. The legal theory is that if employees confront shoplifters, they can be injured and sue their employer. There are 3 major problems:

1) Allowing massive shoplifting leads to looting, which leads to more assaults on employees, store closures, and more suits against employers. The policy is self-defeating as well as immoral.

2) Theft over a set amount ($950 in California) is a felony. Using force or intimidation makes it strong-arm robbery, also a felony. In many places, failure to report a felony is itself a felony. Telling employees not to report a felony is an illegal order. Issuing illegal, immoral orders doesn’t look good in court.

3) Civilization can continue if a small percent of people steal what they can and assault those in their way, while those in authority look the other way. But once the lawless exceed this percent, things go irretrievably downhill. The problem is that no one knows what this percent is. We find out only in retrospect, when it is too late.

You like to pull things apart? Get a job with a demolition contractor, but keep your hands off my country.