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Morality_Today

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About Morality_Today

  • Birthday 05/31/1990

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  • Location
    Minneapolis
  • Gender
    Male

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  • Sexual orientation
    No Answer
  • Relationship status
    In a relationship
  • State (US/Canadian)
    Minnesota
  • Country
    United States
  • Experience with Objectivism
    Ayn Rand Institute Intern, 2011
  • Copyright
    Public Domain
  • School or University
    University of Minnesota
  • Occupation
    Human Resources

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  1. I guess the book on taxation is closed then, since it's already been discussed elsewhere. Oh, well...
  2. I agree with you as well as Mr. Perkins that hatred toward the 1% and the idea of Wall St. vs. Main St. is a serious problem in our time, and it based on a flawed view of the world. However, my objection is with the approach that Mr. Perkins takes in defending that viewpoint. It is illogical and counterproductive: Violence against the 1% is non-existent. To predict a Kristallnacht for billionaires is not only insensitive, but it is -- as I wrote before -- an arbitrary claim. The idea that Mr. Perkins "perceives a rising tide of hatred of the successful one percent" does not change the fact that hatred (which is an emotion) does not equal genocide and to equate the two is a fallacy. Even on topics that are not controversial from Objectivists, I would encourage critical thinking rather than simple hero-worship of representatives from the 1%.
  3. Taxation as a concept does not include things like diminishing the ability to do proper work ("proper" by whose standards?). Taxation is in fact necessary to maintain the services of a government to protect individual rights. We as citizens can't expect police, fire, and medical services to appear from nowhere. It's when taxation extends beyond what is necessary at a basic level to maintain a government that upholds individual rights when it becomes a problem and a rights-violation as such. I agree that high taxes do limit the ability for entrepreneurs to open new businesses or for individuals to spend money they fairly earn as they see fit, but I don't see that as a property of taxation itself; rather, it's a problem in how it is carried out.
  4. I agree with the underlying assertion that the UN likely uses corrupt metrics for assessing and ranking countries. After all, they were the ones who called everything from education to a clean toilet a fundamental human right. However, I'm not sure that I follow your claim about the United States. If "socialistic nations" like Norway and Sweden are among the top-ranked, why would the United States slip in the rankings if it adopted more socialistic policies? In other words, if your hypothesis that countries with socialistic policies rank highly on the UN list were true, wouldn't the United States go up the list if it became more like Norway and Sweden? I think we call a lot of things we don't like "socialism" without actually going through the more rigorous thought process that is necessary in these kinds of circumstances.
  5. The most productive people I know are not motivated solely by money. No, we shouldn't condemn people who are, but money is a means to value, not a value in itself. There is intrinsic value in work that cannot be taxed, and it is the intrinsic value that motivates workers who truly enjoy their job. It's unfortunate if you haven't found that yet.
  6. One should ask, why does he feel the need to defend himself and others? He has nothing to respond to, except populist emotions like envy and jealousy, which are not arguments. He only hurts himself and his position by speaking out and making these claims, mainly because his observations are not rooted in fact. They sound more like "they're out to get me" paranoia.
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