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0 pointsfallingfrog7y ago0 comments

First off, a lot of people are born at the bottom, and born at the top, of various hierarchies. I'm certain that the people at the top think they earned it. They didn't.

Second, maintaining these kinds of hierarchies does not happen as the result of some kind of natural process. It requires violence.

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dsfyu404ed7y ago

I'm working quite hard to ensure that my children will have a far greater head start than I did. Why should I not be able to pass on the fruit of my labor?

Yes I know this is going to be a controversial question. I'm genuinely interested in what people's opinions are.

wsy7y ago

It is good if the society evens this out: it should not completely take away the fruits of your labor, because then your incentive to be productive will be low. But it also should ensure that less lucky children get a good start as well, to ensure that as many children as possible become productive citizens. To do the latter, the wealthy have to give up some of their wealth.

nybble417y ago

"To do the latter, the wealthy have to give up some of their wealth."

No, this does not follow. It is perfectly possible to ensure that every child has a reasonably good start and every chance to become a productive citizen without stealing from anyone, if only the people who are specifically interested in "evening things out" give up some of their wealth for the purpose. As a bonus, the children then get to grow up in a society where theft and parasitism are not deemed normal and acceptable forms of behavior.

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