30th July 2015, 2:34 PM
Analogy time.
There is this club, right? Everybody who is a member enjoys a certain amount of benefits for being there. They all meet in a large building that is paid for by dues. These dues are mandatory, and a requirement of membership. The fees for membership depended on a person's income. The more wealthy a member was, the more they were expected to pay. This was to ensure that the club's benefits could belong equally to all members, even those who were less wealthy. Though most of them grumble about having to pay, they realize that in the real world, things like this are only possible with the contributions of many.
One day, a certain individual who is not nickdaddy, refused to pay his dues.
"You have to pay to be a member", the chairman said to him. "It's a rule you agree to by continuing to be a member."
"You are forcing me to pay into this scheme", nickdaddy replied, "and by restricting my freedom, you are enslaving me."
"An absolutely necessary component of slavery", the chairman replied, "is that you are not allowed to leave. But, we are not forcing you to stay. You are free to sever ties and go anywhere you want."
"I shouldn't have to," nickdaddy replied. "I have been paying my dues, and I think enough is enough."
"Why would you want to stay, given that you think the operators of the club are tyrants and slavers?"
"We should remove you," he said. "You have too much power and you are restricting our free will."
"Most members understand the necessity of an operating body and don't agree with you."
"We don't need you. The richest ones pay too much as it is. Why should the poor pay less? Or get as many benefits?"
"Because, if that was the case, we would be much weaker as an organization, losing a great many talents and contributions."
"No, we wouldn't. The rich could just charge the poor for their seats, and maybe a fee to eat, or use the bathroom. And, it would be the same rate for everybody, which is fair."
"Is charging 5% of $10,000 the same as charging 5% of $10,000,000, in practical terms?"
"They're both 5%. That's called fairness."
"I'm one of the wealthy ones, and it sure would be better for me. But, %5 of my income is nothing to me. 5% of someone else's income could leave them homeless or starving."
"That's their own fault. If they worked harder, they wouldn't be poor."
"Does a person who makes $10,000,000 work a thousand times as hard as someone who makes $10,000?"
"No, but the free market has decided that their skills are worth more."
"So, it is fair for the whims of the 'free market' to decide how much a human life is worth?"
There is this club, right? Everybody who is a member enjoys a certain amount of benefits for being there. They all meet in a large building that is paid for by dues. These dues are mandatory, and a requirement of membership. The fees for membership depended on a person's income. The more wealthy a member was, the more they were expected to pay. This was to ensure that the club's benefits could belong equally to all members, even those who were less wealthy. Though most of them grumble about having to pay, they realize that in the real world, things like this are only possible with the contributions of many.
One day, a certain individual who is not nickdaddy, refused to pay his dues.
"You have to pay to be a member", the chairman said to him. "It's a rule you agree to by continuing to be a member."
"You are forcing me to pay into this scheme", nickdaddy replied, "and by restricting my freedom, you are enslaving me."
"An absolutely necessary component of slavery", the chairman replied, "is that you are not allowed to leave. But, we are not forcing you to stay. You are free to sever ties and go anywhere you want."
"I shouldn't have to," nickdaddy replied. "I have been paying my dues, and I think enough is enough."
"Why would you want to stay, given that you think the operators of the club are tyrants and slavers?"
"We should remove you," he said. "You have too much power and you are restricting our free will."
"Most members understand the necessity of an operating body and don't agree with you."
"We don't need you. The richest ones pay too much as it is. Why should the poor pay less? Or get as many benefits?"
"Because, if that was the case, we would be much weaker as an organization, losing a great many talents and contributions."
"No, we wouldn't. The rich could just charge the poor for their seats, and maybe a fee to eat, or use the bathroom. And, it would be the same rate for everybody, which is fair."
"Is charging 5% of $10,000 the same as charging 5% of $10,000,000, in practical terms?"
"They're both 5%. That's called fairness."
"I'm one of the wealthy ones, and it sure would be better for me. But, %5 of my income is nothing to me. 5% of someone else's income could leave them homeless or starving."
"That's their own fault. If they worked harder, they wouldn't be poor."
"Does a person who makes $10,000,000 work a thousand times as hard as someone who makes $10,000?"
"No, but the free market has decided that their skills are worth more."
"So, it is fair for the whims of the 'free market' to decide how much a human life is worth?"
YOU CANNOT HIDE FOREVER
WE STAND AT THE DOOR
WE STAND AT THE DOOR