Redistributing Wealth

Have you ever seen the documentary Reversal of Fortune, where a homeless man is given $100,000? Here's this dude, diving in dumpsters and collecting cans, and he gets a free hundred grand! Well, he had his day. He was broke and homeless again in a few short months. Would you like to pay an extra $30, $40, $50 in taxes every week so we can do that on a widespread level and allow every poor person to enjoy free wealth, most of whom will be back to square one? If so, will you pay my share? Because I really don't want to. That's now how it would happen in terms of redistribution, obviously, but the outcome is bound to be the same for a large percentage of people just given money. I'm not sure what it means - maybe that some people are poor for a reason. I don't know. But I don't feel as if it's my obligation to help anyone experience wealth. I have a hard enough time at it myself.

Greet, on what do you base your opinion?

matersfish, you're already paying $30-50 per week in taxes, but the money is going to wealthy people in tax breaks. but clearly, that's money well spent because of all the jobs they create. wealth is being redistributed. the rich are getting much richer, the rest of us, not so much.

The way to get the economy rolling again is for us to put the money into the SBA and to get new companies rolling again. The Market right now needs only a little bit of help from the bottom ie get the entrepreneurs going they will create the jobs the ideas and the United States will start moving again. We are the country of the big ideas so lets get the ball rolling by tax incentives in green technology so we can be ready when oil is no more. We need to fund local economies by giving the money to businesses to expand their local operations. Also we need to tax businesses less as this is a job killer and also raises the cost of living on the Middle and lower classes. We need the federal government to cut spending on these programs that are not effective any more and get the non-profit sector which is 1000% more efficient at helping people than the bureaucrats could ever dream of being. They also need to cut or change Health Care Reform to support what a majority of the American people supported an Public Option IE (NON-PROFIT Health Insurance companies) this would drive the market price down through direct competition of for profit companies with non-profit companies.

I'm fine with what you say, but I think the funding of local economies should be from the people and business not the federal government. I would just as soon the feds stayed out of everybody's business.

I agree we have gone about this economy thing wrong, and redistribution is a joke; but what is the solution? Just printing more paper money, as you know, won't help. Those who don't know the value of things, and that is anyone who hasn't had to work for it, may think they've come into a windfall; but they will soon be back to where they were before, if not worse. I'm for weening society off of social programs so they will have to be personally responsible.

I find it telling when all of these socialist countries say dont do it and our President is still determined.

We should be looking at Europe as an example. They use to think America was crazy because we didn't follow their example. Now they think we're crazy if we do. This time they'd be right.

I like the idea of the poor having to earn what they get and not just being given it, but I'm afraid that idea would be rejected as politically incorrect. Where is political incorrectness when we need it?

I wonder if helping people is really their intention. By keeping the poor dependent on them, the government has control of the people.

It would be wonderful if the government made the poor work for what they are receiving. The problem is that they doesn't make the welfare recipients work for what they receive. As a result, more is taken from those who do work; and then they try to make those who have look greedy because they don't want to give anymore than they've been giving. How do you get generations who have grown up believing others owe them for nothing other than just being, that they would be better off if they were responsible for themselves, and not someone else being responsible for them? And how do you convince a government, that does things for political reasons and not for the betterment of mankind, that they are doing more harm than good, especially when they have convinced themselves they are doing the honorable thing?

Can you give me an example of the kind of political or financial gap you're talking about? I see insider trading and shady business practices as cheating their own, not the poor. I agree that socialism doesn't work and that's why I think government should stay out of business. Greedy incentives are found as much from the poor as those who have earned it and want more. I would say more so, because they don't want to work for it. At least the haves have earned it or inherited it from someone who earned it. I suppose you can say the welfare recipient is also getting it from someone who earned it. The difference, though, is forced giving. So what needs to be done? Those who have earned it, know how to get it; but what do you do with someone who has never been expected to earn it, be he rich or poor? The rich, if he's frugal and invest wisely, doesn't need to worry; but what about the poor? Should he continue to gain off the backs of the worker, or should he be required to earn, also?