Too busy to read the whole thing, but I'll just answer the topic: yes.

Our compassios in general is dictated by whether or not we're hungry, and what kind of an access we have to food if need be.

A good friend of mine once said that "Morality is a luxury for those who can afford it".

Point being that when you're in a position where you never need to shoplift for food, it's easy to say shoplifting is wrong. That person never has to challenge that stance.