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Re: justice

Posted by alexandra_k on November 14, 2005, at 18:30:49

In reply to Re: justice, posted by alexandra_k on November 14, 2005, at 17:05:38

> another name for that... is theft. theft of a common resource.

hmm. so i really don't know very much at all about Marx... but Marx said that I think... Maybe... I should read Marx after all.

I have been thinking a lot in this past week about wealth distribution...

And the point that in the US there is that tiny little percentage of the population who have is it.... 17 million dollars in assets (or similar). A tiny little percengage... 10 percent. Or something like that... Hmm.

Nagel had something to say in another book of his that I got to reading...

He said that without the institution of government there wouldn't be any money.
He said that without the institution of government there wouldn't be any ownership of resources (because the government enforces the laws that make it meaningful to claim you 'own' something).

And I got to reading a little bit about the tax laws in the US. And... Its all about the economy, isn't it. The economy. The number one thing that the government is trying to do is to get that economy rolling along. and what is best for that economy... is those wealthy few. because they will invest that. they will save that. and that is needed for the economy to roll along in the best possible way.

my issue is........ yeah. the economy is important. yup. if a country is broke then it is hard to get teh basic needs met for the majority of the citizens (as the US knows full well when it comes to trade 'negotiations' or more properly cancellations of free trade agreements).

but what about the idea that maybe the role of government is to work to DEMOCRATICALLY promote the welfare of its citizens in the sense that every citizens welfare counts for one. in which case if you wanted to know how well a country was faring... you would look to see how well off the poorest citizens were. in much the same way as when you assess how well someone looks after their pets you don't just consider the health of their favourite pet given pride of place in the family room, you want to know about the ones hidden away in back out of sight as well.

The middle class... Sees themself as working jolly hard for what they have. And they do. The majority of them really really do.

But they seem to look down upon the poor...
As 'couch potatoes'.

And they seem to look up to, they seem to condone, to support even, those in that tiny top percent. People watch Paris Hilton's tv show. Mostly to bitch, that is true. But people watch it. And watching it gives her ratings. And what... She needs more money????? And people buy the (typically) womans magazines full of all these people with so much money... so much... and these people are looked up to.

But why are they looked up to instead of being looked down on - the way the middle calss (tends to) look down on the poor?????

If you could take the access from those top few... Those top few...

I'm fairly sure you could have basic needs met across the board. You could have intervention for the poor.

If the poor and the working class got together...

But somehow or other those wealthy few have got people thinking the other way around...

And the working class align themselves with the wealthy few...

So... What is it? Feeling productive helps you feel like it is okay that you exist? Seeing the excess gives you what... Something to aspire to?

First thesis...
Then Marx...

 

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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20050924/msgs/578734.html