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Should an Objectivist accept disability payments?

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Frobozz

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This program takes money from people forced into self-sacrifice. On the other hand, some of that money used to be yours.

Ragnar took wealth so he could return it to the people from whom it was stolen, but he was careful to calculate exactly how much was truly theirs so he could know exactly how much they deserved to recover.

Is it ok for an Objectivist to receive disability payments, but only if he calculates how much money was wrongfully taken from him and stops receiving the payments after that point?

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The welfare state is an insurance-like scheme, forced on us by a majority of voters. There is no way to circumvent that scheme through any kind of calculations. We are a part of it.

Just like in the case of an actual insurance scheme, some people pay more than they get back, some people get back more than they pay, depending on the circumstances. The only difference is that participation in this scheme isn't chosen, it's forced.

But that doesn't change the fact that we are participants to this scheme. As participants who are forced to pay the costs, the least we can do for ourselves is accept the benefits as well. That means that, if we are disabled, we should collect disability payment, period. Even if it's more than you paid in.

P.S. Let's say someone forces you (and everyone else) to buy a lottery ticket. Does that mean that, if you win two days later, when they draw the numbers, you have the moral obligation to give him a call an give him all your winnings except the cost of the ticket? I think not. I think you have the right to the winnings anyway.

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Is it ok for an Objectivist to receive disability payments, but only if he calculates how much money was wrongfully taken from him and stops receiving the payments after that point?

Taxpayers are entitled to benefits, or restitution, depending on the legitimacy of the tax. Disability payments are paid as insurance claims, therefore the presumption is that one may receive more than one gives, because in reality, it's more likely one will give more than one receives. Trying to calculate ethically how much to withdraw from the system, is like trying to determine how to fairly rob Peter to pay Paul; whatever money you paid has already been given to someone else, and whatever money you receive came from someone else.

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