What's your opinion on the morality of taking money from those who earned it and giving it to people who haven't? Not talking about people who cannot earn their own money but rather those who choose not to. And can you recommend any books or writings on the subject?
Seems to me basic self worth is at least in part a reflection on your independence. Or at least contributing something, your own labor or time to your family or community. This country does not like freeloaders, and while there is a certain amount of leeway in tough times like we're in now, at some point opinions change.
So are we morally right to redistribute somebody else's wealth or deny people support in an effort to incentivize them to be more productive members of society?
yes. We have a right to re evalutate the worth and wealth of those you say "earned it" at any time as it has been through out history. Now whether we want to wait till this has to be done in a violent revolution, as has been typical redistribution method, or through a more common sense approach of creating a maximum wage or percentage of total earnings of companies, governments etc... is yet to be seen. I still don't understand the lack of historical perspective and knowledge you all seem to have lost and therefore keep repeating. Our vanity keeps telling us that we should be working for ourselves and some of our lack of self worth tells us to work for the major benefit of a few that have chosen to be "A" type personalities and conquers of all around them. This has always proven to be detrimental and totally destructive to our planet and species. Two steps forward and ten steps back. It's time we chose a better way. It's not like we have a choice. Sorry about that.
People earn money in different ways. The less wealthy toil at labor to feed their family. The most wealthy have worked to the point they need not work anymore. Wealth is then earned by investment. Most people earn what they get in one way or another and some do not produce sufficiently to earn their pittance.
when you "earn" your money by investing in companies that devalue your fellow humans to slave labor conditions, inhumane living conditions etc... you have only earned a select spot in hell as your world dies and flashes before your eyes and your last cry is 'my God, what have I done!" and we can change our mind but it can be too late.
That is bullshit. Even in the Bible "work to eat" is a good consideration.
The apostle Paul wrote in a letter to Christians:
“Brothers and sisters, keep away from Christians who are lazy. Such people do not live in the way that we taught you. We tell you to do this by the authority that the Lord Jesus Christ gives to us. You yourselves know very well that you should live as we did. We were not lazy when we were with you. We did not depend on any of you for our food without paying for it. No, we worked hard night and day. We earned what we needed. So we did not have to charge you anything at all. We did this, not because we do not have the right to expect such help. But we did it so as to be an example of how you should live. Because when we were with you, we gave you this rule: Whoever refuses to work should not eat."
"We say this because we hear that some among you are lazy. They talk about other people but do no work themselves. By the authority that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge them to work quietly. They must earn the money to buy their own food. But you, brothers and sisters, must never tire of doing good things.”
No one works for slave wages in the US. Many do work for less than others, but that is usually because of their choices, ranging from education to choices of a criminal nature.
No matter what we do with wages, there will always be divisions of wealth, and there will always be the least wealthy. We could raise the minimum wage by double today, and by a short time, those with doubled wages will once again be the least wealthy, if for no other reason the 4 quintiles above them want to maintain their standard of living. Only people with a total lack of economic understanding make comments such as yours.
Should we strive to improve the lot our the least of our brethren? Of course, we are honor bound to do that. But in the overall scheme of things that kind of help is fleeting and we "must continue to do good work" as their is no rest for the performance of good.
