I don't think caliber, or for that matter gun possession, matters a whole lot when it comes to theft, which I understand as stealing without drawing the attention of others. In fact, guns, being valuable, can often be the target of a thief. There is nothing you can do about theft if you can't or don't notice it. Likewise, a skilled burglar can enter and leave your house without getting noticed, sometimes with you sleeping soundly through it.

Regrettably (or maybe not so regrettably?), because of the easy access to firearms, the American criminal no longer even tries to perfect or even acquire these Old World skills: pickpocketing, long cons, cat burglaries, etc. Why take years to train under a possibly exploitative and abusive master who always demands a cut, when you can just rob someone by force with a gun and keep all the profit yourself? You may not even be able to get these skills unless you go abroad. That's just not worth it.

As moderator, I would encourage people to stay on topic. While political-social critique is not strictly prohibited, that which verges on political speech is.

HJ