Paul Buchheit at Common Dreams writes:
The standard argument against this is that everyone has an equal opportunity to benefit from past accomplishments. But it isn’t true. An American born in 1970 in the bottom economic quintile had only a 17% chance of making it into the top two quintiles. Reports from Brookings, Pew, and the OECD show that much of Europe has more economic mobility than the United States.
Even for those who headed up the newest computer-based technologies, their successes have depended on the input of thousands of physicists and chemists and chip designers and software engineers and market analysts over many years to lay the groundwork for the infrastructure and protocols needed for success.
And then he quotes Tom Paine:
All accumulation, therefore, of personal property, beyond what a man’s own hands produce, is derived to him by living in society; and he owes on every principle of justice, of gratitude, and of civilization, a part of that accumulation back again to society from whence the whole came.
LOVE the Tom Paine quote and am going to plaster it everywhere I have a web presence.
Go for it!
Tom Paine rocks it!!
I read that essay and was reminded what a prophet he was. And is.
From each according to their ability. To each according to their need.
You realize Paine was a deist and no fan of institutionalized religion generally or of Christianity in particular. (The Age of Reason)
He was also a serious revolutionary. He introduced, among other things, the concept of a guaranteed minimum income, (Agrarian Justice), which lives on in the minimum wage laws we have today.
That whole deist, not-a-fan-of-institutionalize-religion? Doesn’t scare me a bit.
You’ve got something in common with Paine then. He didn’t scare easily either. An admirable quality.
I don’t scare at all. It’s not one of my charming qualities. You?
Madness.
Madness scares me. And pain. And not being able to breathe.
People don’t scare me. And the only idea that makes me anxious is the one I haven’t heard yet.
I spoke too soon. I’m not a fan of having my airways cut off, either.
Wait….you mean Marxism is based on the same writings as Declaration of Independence and The Constitution? Joe McCarthy is rolling in his grave.
Good. The other folks in hell could use the fanning.
I just made that up! I’m AWESOME!
LOL!! I almost made the same comment….he laughs evilly…..
Yeah, but when I typed it originally I forgot to include “in hell.” So I’m only pretty much awesome, not full-blown.