Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Wealth Redistribution and a Moral Imperative

irateplatypus · 10-26-2008, 09:59 PM

to the recent posts:

i have no expertise in macro-economics, so please correct me if i'm wrong, but...

even if you accept the theory that capitalism necessarily entails underutilization of labor, i don't understand why that would lead to a conclusion that those people who aren't employed aren't lazy. the current unemployment figures hover around 5%. seeing as how many people who do have jobs are lazy-asses, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the 1 in 20 people who don't have jobs are the laziest of the lazy. assuming that there must always be unemployed persons wouldn't contradict the observation that those who are unemployed tend to be lazy.

just checked - the employment figures in my home-state are pretty close to national averages... i see plenty of "now hiring" signs in stores that probably pay 7-10/hr for entry-level work. that's not much money, but surely it's as much as you'd receive sitting at home cashing a welfare check.

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to the discussion in general:

something i haven't seen discussed in this thread is the argument from "goodness" that seems to discount the moral value of wealth redistribution. there is something morally debilitating about the concept. it takes what is otherwise done out of charity and generosity and instead forces someone to gives to another through threat of imprisonment (which is exactly what happens when you don't pay your taxes). government, then, preempts good. redistribution destroys pity, mercy, humbleness and grace. it takes all that is admirable and noble about helping your fellow man and makes it function of the state. the state co-opts these values by taking them from each person and making the state an agent of violence should anyone withhold their wealth from the state's righteousness-by-fiat.

10-26-2008, 09:59 PM	#125 (permalink)
irateplatypus can't help but laugh Location: dar al-harb	to the recent posts: i have no expertise in macro-economics, so please correct me if i'm wrong, but... even if you accept the theory that capitalism necessarily entails underutilization of labor, i don't understand why that would lead to a conclusion that those people who aren't employed aren't lazy. the current unemployment figures hover around 5%. seeing as how many people who do have jobs are lazy-asses, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the 1 in 20 people who don't have jobs are the laziest of the lazy. assuming that there must always be unemployed persons wouldn't contradict the observation that those who are unemployed tend to be lazy. just checked - the employment figures in my home-state are pretty close to national averages... i see plenty of "now hiring" signs in stores that probably pay 7-10/hr for entry-level work. that's not much money, but surely it's as much as you'd receive sitting at home cashing a welfare check. *********************************** to the discussion in general: something i haven't seen discussed in this thread is the argument from "goodness" that seems to discount the moral value of wealth redistribution. there is something morally debilitating about the concept. it takes what is otherwise done out of charity and generosity and instead forces someone to gives to another through threat of imprisonment (which is exactly what happens when you don't pay your taxes). government, then, preempts good. redistribution destroys pity, mercy, humbleness and grace. it takes all that is admirable and noble about helping your fellow man and makes it function of the state. the state co-opts these values by taking them from each person and making the state an agent of violence should anyone withhold their wealth from the state's righteousness-by-fiat. __________________ If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves. ~ Winston Churchill