The other day, Cao Cao 曹操, aka Jonathan Kos-Read, an American actor and cultural figure known for his long-standing career in China, shared a thought-provoking short video about the state of theft in Europe. His observations not only shed light on the growing issue of petty crime but also revealed some deeper, systemic problems in European societies today.
According to Cao Cao, catching a thief in Europe is essentially a pointless endeavor. Why? Because thieves rarely face any real consequences. If someone attempts to bring a thief to justice—say, by pushing for jail time—they’re immediately met with resistance from a host of social organizations. These groups swoop in to “protect the weak,” hiring lawyers and launching legal battles to defend the thief’s so-called “legal rights.”
Even if you’re determined to see justice served, the process is excruciatingly slow. The fastest you could hope for is a resolution within a year, and that’s just the beginning of the headache. The costs are astronomical, with lawyers and volunteers lining their pockets at every turn. For the state to prosecute a single thief, it could easily run into hundreds of thousands of dollars—and even then, there’s no guarantee of success.
At this point, you might think Europeans are paragons of virtue, selflessly defending the underprivileged. But don’t be fooled. As Cao Cao pointed out, European thieves tend to avoid targeting locals. Instead, they focus their efforts on tourists and foreigners. For locals, this dynamic is almost like a spectator sport: they get to watch Gypsies or other groups target outsiders, all while playing the role of compassionate bystanders. It’s a win-win for them—they get to virtue-signal, maintain their image, and even profit from the situation indirectly.
He argued that modern Europeans are like entitled rich kids who’ve lost touch with reality. They’re more concerned with maintaining appearances and projecting moral superiority than addressing real-world problems.
In contrast, Cao Cao noted that Americans and Chinese haven’t yet reached this level of detachment. Both cultures remain more grounded in reality and less obsessed with performative virtue.
This critique of European society is undoubtedly provocative, but it raises important questions about the balance between justice, social activism, and practicality. Europe’s approach to crime and social issues seems to foster a culture of impunity, and the costs—both financial and societal—are significant.
So, congratulations, Europe! You’ve managed to turn petty crime into a thriving industry, complete with lawyers, activists, and a moral high ground. Who needs law and order when you can have performative compassion and a side of virtue signaling? Bravo.