What Is Fair?

A good friend of mine asked me a simple question. My answer was quickly written since I needed to get some other things done, but hopefully it sheds some light on the discussion. His question was,

If the Rich control 42 percent of the wealth - wouldn't you think it would be "FAIR" if they paid 42% of the taxes?

My response:

No. That is just some kind of altruistic idea that has no basis. It is just a means of stealing and empowering one group over another. Instead of the mob, its "government" that has the right to steal private property. Just as the Mob produces nothing, neither does the government. On what sound philosophical basis does the government get the right to make everyone "Even"?

For instance, take out the government of the picture just for a moment. The idea that my neighbor has more money and that's not fair, he should be forced against his will to give it to someone else so that life is supposedly more fair, is absurd on its face. It is just some moral argument based in thin air.

Now obviously there is a sound basis for government, and I would add a necessary one. But that is only true in a Christian worldview. In an atheist worldview (at least from debates with atheists that I have had), government is the ultimate authority. But when I ask "why?", there simply is no sound answer. It is because "they" say so.

Obviously there is a role for government. We all see that even if our worldviews account for that properly or not. Then we need to debate the extent of its role. As a Baptist, I see the government's role as mainly for military purposes and to maintain peace and Justice between citizens. Of course, by peace and justice, I do not mean what the Left means (they love to redefine words to be meaningless, such as economic justice, which is a contradiction in terms). I simply mean the historic definition. For instance, the Ten Commandments pretty much sums it up.

Again, though, what that may mean in foreign policy or how we use tariffs or free trade, or interstate trade, or the stopping of monopolies to prevent capitalism from self-destructing, etc etc etc is a matter of public debate.

Also, I fully understand that capitalism is not the only way to run an economy. We could follow communism as a model. But everybody ought to know that Capitalism (not to be confused with crony capitalism) provides the most opportunities for everybody and is fully compatible with Liberty. Liberals whine at this point because there will be some that fail or due to something out of the control of an individual (born blind?), will cause to some to fail. "It is just not fair" seems to be the motto. But as far as I am concerned, Capitalism is far more consistent with human nature and the way we were created (man was made in a covenant of works therefore...). But due to sin, we must see where restraint must be placed to prevent self-destruction. But though Liberals want to place these restraints, they do so not because they want Capitalism to work, but because they hate it. They want a Command and Control economy. In short they want power.

If you have any doubt, just look at what the TARP law has empowered the government to have authority to do. It is absolutely sickening and just plain frightening. I am thankful that some day this evil age will pass and this struggle for liberty and freedom will be fully consummated by a power totally outside of ourselves.