Posted on 03/22/2012 10:22:38 AM PDT by trappedincanuckistan
Share253 Print Forward John Stossel What is fair? by John Stossel 03/21/2012 159 Comments
President Obama says he wants to make society more fair. Advocates of big government believe fairness means taking from rich people and giving to others: poor people; or people who do things politicians approve of, like making "green" energy equipment (Solyndra); or old people (even rich ones) through Social Security and Medicare.
The idea that government can "make life fair" is intuitively appealing to people -- at least until they think about it. I'll try to help.
Obama says fairness requires higher taxes, but as The Wall Street Journal's Stephen Moore asks, "Is it fair that the richest 10 percent of Americans shoulder a higher share of their country's income-tax burden than do the richest 10 percent in every other industrialized nation, including socialist Sweden?"
Or as economist Art Laffer asked, is it fair that American corporations pay the highest corporate tax rate in the world?
Beyond taxes, again quoting Moore, "Is it fair that President Obama sends his two daughters to elite private schools that are safer, better-run and produce higher test scores than public schools in Washington, D.C. -- but millions of other families across America are denied that free choice and forced to send their kids to rotten schools?"
No. Parents ought to be able to spend their education money at any school they choose.
Big-government politicians bemoan income inequality, but would equalizing incomes make life fair?
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
Look up the word “fair” in the bible. It’s not there much. And even when it is, it is in the vein of telling people to “judge fairly”, etc.
That is because fairness is a VERY subjective thing. One feels very childish when they catch themself saying, “That’s not fair”.
Other folks say that "fairness" is precisely the opposite: some folks win and some folks lose. Studying hard, working hard, engaging is responsible behavior, makes it more likely that you will succeed. The folks who don't follow that path may end up dying in an alley. That's what fairness is.
This country was founded to follow Option 2 -- All men are created equal, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, a nation of laws and not men. A written Constitution so that we all knew exactly what the rules were.
But we are definitely following Option 1 right now. A living Constitution that means whatever someone wants it to mean. Redistribution of wealth, Crony Capitalism, and Big Government controls all aspects of your life.
Fair? This is fair?
Fairness to me is people rising and falling according to their talents and efforts.
Obama campaign slogan 2008: Yes We Can!
Obama campaign slogan 2012: Making Life Fair!
Exactly so. But our society has decided to make it against the rules for anyone to fall. And that means that fairness is out the window.
There is more than one kind of “fairness” (or “equality” if you prefer).
“Equality of opportunity” is one kind: government does not interfere with an individual’s ability to play the game on a level playing field. And level means level — no handicaps or bonuses for color, sex, age, and so forth, even to “make up for past sins”. What happens on that “fair” playing field is determined by the individual’s intelligence and other gifts, their work ethic, and their fortune. Equality of opportunity is widely viewed by conservatives as a good thing; liberals hate the idea (ref: “merit” vs “seniority”).
“Equality of outcome”, on the other hand, treats life as a zero sum game and seeks to make sure everyone gets the same slice of the pie, regardless of talent or effort. This is widely viewed as a liberal “good thing”, and most conservatives see it as what it is: a way to enforce mediocrity.
Equal outcomes, not equal opportunity.
Those who claim the mantle of “progressive” are tasked with inverting every society they operate in. First you start with the language (PC, or “newspeak) and continue until the very relationship between the government and the governed is inverted.
The short phrase above is an inversion of the plain meaning and spirit of the US Constitution.
Breszhnev was right.
My Dad taught me that fair is a place with cotton candy and rides.
Nice one! :)
What is fair?
All of humanity doomed to hell as punishment for our sins.
I’m quite happy with unfair, btw.
I don’t see where anyone is promised a rose garden however it’s very unfair that I’m still waiting for that purple unicorn he promised me.
Dictator Baby-Doc Barack is proving himself to be a blithering idiot.
Obama says what he thinks his audience wants to be true, and then expects us to believe his lie.
Fairness at our house is “Everybody’s needs are met”. Beyond that I let the kids know that complaining will get them no where. BTW I have 8 kids 15 yo and younger.
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