(01-08-2016, 08:34 AM)SickBeast Wrote: Why is socialism fair? Let's see, I guess I can use the USA as an example:
Kid A's father is the CEO of a large American corporation. He is given a BMW on his 16th birthday and his parents fully pay for his medical training at Harvard. He graduates with honors and becomes a well renowned cardiologist for one of the best hospitals in his city. He earns $400,000USD per year. As such he pays about $150,000 of that in taxes every year.
Kid B does not know his father as he has been incarcerated from the time he was 3 years old. The father repeatedly abused both Kid B and the mother both physically and emotionally. One day the father broke the mother's collarbone when he pushed her down the stairs during an argument. A concerned neighbor called the police. Kid B has not seen his father since then. Kid B's mom has a high school education. Daycare for Kid B would cost more than the mom earns, even with a subsidy from their small city. She goes on welfare and focuses on being the best parent she can be; she is all Kid B has left. Kid B was forced to take a part time job while in high school so that he could afford things like haircuts and clothes. He was only able to save $1000 for college. He did quite well on his SAT test but he could not even afford to go to a state school, so he became a mechanic at a local garage. He does not get any benefits and his salary is minimal. He pays about $5,000 per year in taxes.
So how is this fair? Kid A pays $150,000 in taxes and Kid B only pays $5,000. It depends on how you look at it. That $150,000 in taxes paid by Kid A provides the government with enough money to give food stamps to 50 families in his area. It also allows the government to build roads, schools, and hospitals for their community. In Canada some of this money would go toward paying for universal healthcare.
Rollo what I really don't think you understand is the fact that fairness does not mean equality. Clearly Kid A pays more taxes than Kid B. That being said, who's life would you rather have? It could be argued the Kid A had an unfair advantage to begin with due to his privileged upbringing.
I realize that this issue is not about the money with you, either. I have explained to you many times that we pay half as much per capita here in Canada on healthcare yet we have universal coverage. So basically you could have universal coverage in the USA and it would cost people like you *less* overall yet you still don't want it due to philosophical issues. You don't want the "slackers" to get it because you don't think it's fair. You know what? The slackers bother me too. They say that about 1% of the Canadian population lives off the system. That bothers me. The thing is, though, you have to take the good with the bad. The good in our system is that we don't have the massive ghettos that you see in the US. People here are healthier and live longer. Our infrastructure is modern. Our public schools are excellent. Our communities are safe. So you have all that good that you have to take along with the sad fact that there are slackers who live off the system. You know what though? It's not much of a life for the slackers. They can only get so much money from the government to do nothing. It's not a life for them. Really it's almost like being in prison.
There is also the fact that you would not have the lifestyle that you enjoy without the "slackers". You said you shop at Wal Mart. Here's a news flash for you: in Canada they all get free health care, even if they're earning minimum wage. Now you would probably think that's not fair because you paid for part of it. But, you save money every week on your groceries and other shopping. You have to always weigh out the good and the bad in life.
To really answer why socialism is fair: it's because it gives everyone a better place to live, including the rich.
Anyhow I know that's a long post. I truly hope that I was able to get through to you even just a little bit. It must be pretty sad going through your life with such a chip off your shoulder. I don't know what these slackers ever did to you but you're turning your back on good government policy out of spite, mindset, and ideology. The sad fact is that there are many Americans who would agree with you. Ben is a prime example.
Have a great night. And remember, there are lots of people out there without a bed to sleep in. They aren't all slackers, either. Bad things happen to good people. People lose their job every day due to no fault of their own. Employment insurance only lasts so long.
That is a really insightful post - it's a humane, humanitarian principle to care for each fellow being as an equal.
Even if Gstanford attacks me like a frothing rabid abomination, saying that I'm not entitled to the First Amendment, I'd still extend my arm to him if he were hit by a car or slipped down a cliff with one of his arms hanging on to a ledge. The same goes for Poppin.. wanting to burn me on a stake, yet I'd still care for his health if it were emergency or really serious.
I actually have a harder time tipping waitresses $10 just for walking back and forth to my table maybe 4-5 times. If the waitress did it 20 times, then that would have been more reasonable.
Yet, I have no problem with my tax dollars paying for healthcare for these waitresses who constantly complain of not being tipped enough even with 18-20% tips (when they go and spend all of their tip money on $9 drinks with their friends every weekend at the bar in the very restaurant they work at),... because it's a completely separate principle - not religious - simply moral equal human right (akin to the reason why slavery, physical absue, etc. are illegal).
A rabid dog might bite a drunk prodigal ungrateful waitress, yet if it were up to me, I'd call 911 on that person and not mind my tax dollars help save the person's life.