Posted on 03/25/2011 7:50:38 AM PDT by Walter Scott Hudson
In a recent post covering a forthcoming London protest by UK Uncut dubbed the "March for the Alternative," NRB's Michelle Horstman introduced us to the Robin Hood Tax. It's pretty much what it sounds like, a proposal to seize wealth from banks and redistribute it to "fight poverty" and "tackle climate change." UK Uncut has garnered much attention as of late for its unconventional protest tactics, which is to say its willingness to use force to disrupt lawful trade.
Obviously, the folks at UK Uncut and their allies regard themselves as modern day Merry Men. They are certainly willing to skirt the edge of the law in pursuit of their cause, a supposedly noble crusade on behalf of the downtrodden. However, it is likely that Robin Hood would not recognize these pretenders. In fact, the preponderance of evidence within the folklore suggests Robin Hood would identify more with the modern American Tea Party than any socialist.
Robin Hood's quest is often simplified as "robbing from the rich to give to the poor." That is certainly an apt summary of socialism. However, the full context of the folklore provides a more nuanced view.
Contemporary visions of Hood show him to be an outlaw only from the perspective of an illegitimate government. Hood does not steal from the “rich” arbitrarily. He targets those who have taken up with a usurper and directly profit from the pilfer of the masses. The treasonous Prince John persecutes his subjects for hunting “the King’s deer,” declaring all natural resources the property of the government. The people’s crops and wares are seized through taxation, leaving them cold and hungry. Hood works to restore the people’s capacity to provide for themselves...
(Excerpt) Read more at newsrealblog.com ...
Too bad Ragnar Danneskjold isn’t around to see this post. :)
I love reminding my liberal friends when they invoke the Robin Hood meme that contrary to popular belief, he didn’t “rob from the rich and give to the poor,” he robbed the tax collector and returned the money to the suffering taxpayers.
I also remind them that all the villains in the story - the king, the king’s guard, the sheriff of Nottingham, all represented the government.
heh
pimp!
The Zorro legend is the same theme; the government was evil and taxed the people to near starvation. Zorro ambushed the tax collectors, and returned the money to those who had earned it.
And hood Obama robbing from the rich and keeps it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.