The Greatest Argument for the Left
The greatest argument the Left Wing has to offer comes from a US professor called John Rawls and his book A Theory of Justice. His suggestion, the original position, is as follows.
To decide on moral principles and laws we should imagine ourselves in a position before birth: in a situation where we know all about the world, but we do not know where we are going to be born or what sex, race, class etc we would be. In this position we would be truly free of bias. We would want wealth to be spread equally and human rights to be protected. This way we could safeguard our future and have a good percentage change of a free and stable future.
Anybody who says that they would not want this is either mad or lying. Through pure logic it shows that right wing views are based on the advantage, bias and selfishness of the people who hold them. This scenario uses a person’s natural sense of selfishness to put them in a position of empathy for the entire human race.
1 comments:
All things being equal, yes, we would want "wealth" to be distributed equally. That is to say, if the distribution has no effect on the size of the pie, then we would probably want 100% equal distribution.
But if enforcing equal distribution - either through the barrel of the gun - or through the force of taxation and the justice system has the effect of reducing the total amount of wealth or retarding technological development. Then we'd prefer a world of unequal wealth distribution where our median standard of living is higher. Furthermore, I would rather not be born into a world of total complete equality enforced through government mandates and force of arms (that's the only way we're going to achieve equality in this world). I would prefer instead to be born into a world of equal opportunity, where I can enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Indeed, you see a similar thing with rates of immigration, and this seriously undermines your argument. People do not flock to countries of income equality and generous social welfare programs - they flock to countries of opportunity. Chile has a higher per Capita rate of immigration than Venezuela. The United States has a much higher per Capita rate of immigration than European countries. And people play the lottery...
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