{"id":3198,"date":"2008-07-18T00:05:31","date_gmt":"2008-07-18T04:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.soulhuntre.com\/2008\/07\/18\/money-morality-and-slavery\/"},"modified":"2008-07-18T00:05:31","modified_gmt":"2008-07-18T04:05:31","slug":"money-morality-and-slavery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/legacyiamsenseiken.local\/2008\/07\/18\/money-morality-and-slavery\/","title":{"rendered":"Money, morality and slavery…"},"content":{"rendered":"

The below is an additional post I put up in the discussion I referred to before<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

(name deleted) – I do understand what you are saying. I simply disagree with not only your core premise but your conclusions. Once again, while it is a tragedy that someone is having trouble finding work, I am unclear by what moral right they somehow gain a claim on what is mine because of this. <\/p>\n

I have in the past and will continue in the future to help those who have problems directly and indirectly. I do so because I CHOOSE to do it. I do it freely. However the moment someone claims they have the right to confiscate what I have to service those who have not, I will fight to keep it. <\/p>\n

I will not revisit your claims of a globe spanning conspiracy to control and manipulate the poor of the world in any detail, because there is still no evidence of either a motive, means or method. <\/p>\n

(other name deleted) – Greed is, to quote a movie, good. Greed unbounded by ethics is clearly a problem. However the core desire to want more than you have, to want better than you have, to wish to improve your situation is not only good but admirable and noble. <\/p>\n

Your point about common utilities and services is valid insofar as this – it makes sense for those things to be funded by payments from all who use them. The usual form of this is a tax. However where we go wrong is when you decide that it is somehow right to take disproportionately from me simply because you decide that I can afford it. Whether I am spending my money on food, hookers or burning it to make smoke signals does not in any way effect your lack of a right to demand to take what is mine. <\/p>\n

The very moment a society decides that it will only let me keep what it thinks I am entitled to it attempt to make me it’s slave – and I refuse to accept its right to do so. <\/p>\n

As for the argument (common to you and name deleted) that somehow the wealthy are a self perpetuating class of folks and that the poor cannot rise to join them the reality is starkly different. The vast, vast majority of millionaires in this country are self made, first generation. Does opportunity play a part? Sure… fate is funny like that. However so does skill, drive, determination, discipline and many other factors. <\/p>\n

However, let’s look at the issue of inheritance and legacy. If I have earned my money I am not at all sure why I should not be allowed to use it to raise the standard of living for anyone I damn well please including my future family members. Why should it be a stain on them that they had a ancestor who was both capable and willing to amass some wealth for their benefit. Once again I wonder… what about that somehow makes them less human and less morally entitled to the ownership of their own property? <\/p>\n

You both keep attempting to make the same basic arguments. <\/p>\n