Quote:
Originally Posted by barryem
I think that if you want to call a pirate a thief you're certainly entitled to, just as you're entitled to call an apple an orange. But in a serious discussion among literate people where words are taken seriously it seems kind of out of place.
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I think it's quite the opposite, really. It seems out of place to me for literate people in a serious discussion to be overly dogmatic about the use of a word that adequately describes what everyone understands the other party is referring to. And to suggest it's apples and oranges is disingenuous at best.
If it makes you feel better to believe that the word "thief" is inextricably tied to physical property only, by all means, have at it.