5 ms·

I suppose a case could be made that people are entitled to a share of the success that they didn't help provide, but no one ever even tries to make it. It's jus

I suppose a case could be made that people are entitled to a share of the success that they didn't help provide, but no one ever even tries to make it. It's just assumed to be true. Care to make the case? If you lean on the nebulous idea that being born into a society is somehow a contribution to any particular success in general, I'm going to assume you're bullshitting. Fair warning.

sliverstorm 10y ago
It's less a matter of what you are entitled to, and more that society doesn't work very well with gross disparity. I always argue it's in the interests of the wealthy to mind that everyone else is happy with the way things are. Otherwise you get violent populist uprisings. Stability & happiness of the whole country are in the interest of those on top of it.
- mr_spothawk 10y ago
  enter the NFL, MLB, NBA & Netflix + cheap flat screen televisions.
  - brational 10y ago
    yep. and if we'd just clear up healthcare then the masses would be set and placated.
  - hbt 10y ago
    Keeping the population in line by fattening them up and distracting them only works if they believe in something bigger than themselves. With the lack of community and the focus on individual and the self, people will not be fulfilled if they know someone else is doing so much better. It's the classic monkey experiment with cucumbers. If all monkeys get cucumbers, they are all okay with it. If one monkey gets a cherry while the other gets a cucumber, the cucumber monkey feels it's unfair and gets angry. You can keep humans in shitty conditions if they believe in something bigger than themselves. That the shitty conditions are justified and therefore fair.
guycook 10y ago
> I suppose a case could be made that people are entitled to a share of the success that they didn't help provide, but no one ever even tries to make it. Ha! If you genuinely want to hear people (very passionately) make this argument, try proposing a higher estate tax

sliverstorm 10y ago

It's less a matter of what you are entitled to, and more that society doesn't work very well with gross disparity. I always argue it's in the interests of the wealthy to mind that everyone else is happy with the way things are. Otherwise you get violent populist uprisings. Stability & happiness of the whole country are in the interest of those on top of it.

mr_spothawk 10y ago
enter the NFL, MLB, NBA & Netflix + cheap flat screen televisions.
- brational 10y ago
  yep. and if we'd just clear up healthcare then the masses would be set and placated.
- hbt 10y ago
  Keeping the population in line by fattening them up and distracting them only works if they believe in something bigger than themselves. With the lack of community and the focus on individual and the self, people will not be fulfilled if they know someone else is doing so much better. It's the classic monkey experiment with cucumbers. If all monkeys get cucumbers, they are all okay with it. If one monkey gets a cherry while the other gets a cucumber, the cucumber monkey feels it's unfair and gets angry. You can keep humans in shitty conditions if they believe in something bigger than themselves. That the shitty conditions are justified and therefore fair.

guycook 10y ago

> I suppose a case could be made that people are entitled to a share of the success that they didn't help provide, but no one ever even tries to make it. Ha! If you genuinely want to hear people (very passionately) make this argument, try proposing a higher estate tax