stealthis

Stealthis is a term most closely associated with Abbie Hoffman’s countercultural booklet Steal This Book and the broader anti-consumerist protest milieu of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The phrase functions as an imperative slogan that critiques consumerism and promotes a DIY, decentralized approach to living outside traditional economic channels. The book, first published in 1971, presented a range of tactics and ideas aimed at challenging property norms, social hierarchies, and the reach of corporate power.

The work is best known for its provocative tone and practical-minded content, which ranged from protest organizing to unconventional strategies for obtaining goods and services through nontraditional means. While the author’s intent was to provoke critical thinking about wealth, control, and openness, the material was controversial and often drew legal and ethical scrutiny. The title’s ambiguous grammar—an instruction embedded in irony—reflects the era’s blending of humor with political critique.

Over time, the phrase Steal This has appeared in various media as a shorthand for anti-authoritarian critique rather than a literal manual for wrongdoing. It has influenced later strands of DIY culture, mutual aid, and open-access thinking, and has been referenced by activists, artists, and scholars analyzing protest tactics and economic inequality. In contemporary usage, the term is typically treated as historical and rhetorical, signaling resistance to consumerist norms without endorsing illicit activity.

See also: Abbie Hoffman, Steal This Book, counterculture, DIY culture, open access, mutual aid.