Why do we only notice metal when it hurts? – Some sideways thoughts on metal theft

In this guest essay for www.metaltheft.net I try and open up some areas for social theory / the humanities within the eminently pragmatic field of metal theft research. Offering thoughts variously on the phenomenology of infrastructure and it's metal elements, Marx on use-value vs exchange-value, body snatching and the sacking of Rome I try to think through how metal theft tells us something about materiality and metal. Hey, it's worth a try...