Do you support the democrat argument or the republican argument for wealth distribution?

Question

The democratic argument:

The concentration of wealth in a small group allows for anti-democratic influence of social policy. The wealthy have the ability to create their own "think tanks" and astro-turf front organizations. These are then used to create the perception that the public is in support of their self-serving objectives. Recent studies have shown how these techniques were used in the repeal of the estate tax debate as well as in the rise of new factions opposing the liberal social policies of the Episcopal church. When such vast amounts of money are under the control of a tiny group the basic mechanisms of democracy are undermined.

Republican
Poor people are lazy (or inferior).

This argument is a variant of the Calvinist belief that salvation is found through work. Thus those who become wealthy are "blessed" and deserve their rewards. Those who are poor are to blame in some fashion for their position in society and government intervention to alter the balance will only lead to even more lazy people and the eventual breakdown of society.
wealthy people create growth opportunities for society.

Only those with a large amount of capital can startup or expand new businesses. If they didn't exist the economy would not grow as fast.

The top 1% own 40% of the wealth

when you cant answer just criticize semantics.

was i supposed to write it as to be published?

i am in birmingham alabama and have traveled the planet ...

wealth inequality is what i have seen in my travels as a plague on humanity

thatguy you wrote
"we have taken from the success of others who are BETTER THAN YOU and we will just hand it to you"

Answer 1

Two per cent own most national and global wealth and they got it mostly through inheritance as one in five human deaths, mostly children, is resulting from mass starvation or drinking polluted water. Half of the people on earth are trying to get by on less than $2.15 a day and one third are anemic. There is no defensible argument opposing massive wealth redistribution. http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article66105.ece

Answer 2

Republicans dont believe in wealth distribution at all. Democrats want to take from you so if you think taxes are high now wait till a Dem gets in. Why should people who work and earn their money give to those who didn't. There are many rags to riches stories out there so it is possible to become wealthy from nothing. But its not going to be handed to you, it takes some input from the individual.

Answer 3

Poor people make their choices in life and shold live the way they chose....using the excuse that they had a hard life is just that an excuse..many wealthy people have had hard lives and built their wealth through hard work for their families.
By redistrubiting wealth creates laziness and expectations.
I expect to have my wealth given to my kids and hate the thought that the Govt can take a substantial amount they do not deserve.

Answer 4

We have to consider the fact that business, big, medium, and small is what keeps this country afloat. Having said that, please define in dollar amounts what big business, medium size business, and small business is. These businesses pay taxes and employee people that pay taxes. Businesses need people, and people need businesses. When someone dies and has a small business that is family operated, and is worth 3-5 million dollars, should the children of the person that died have to pay a large estate tax in order to keep the business? The estate tax is an unfair tax on hard working families of small and medium size businesses. Big business, like walmart, GM, Ford, etc. that do hundreds of millions of dollars per year may have tax loop holes, but the average small and medium size business is paying out the nose in taxes. I wish people would get their facts straight before they engaged their mouth.

Answer 5

There is a reason why Calvinism is not really around today and if it is even around it is not one of the "popular" and greatly followed religions. Even in it's time it only had limited amount of followers, those that didn't really belong in the world as it is; and those who thought wealth was a gift of the devil. You worked to get what you needed, but you didn't get more that what you needed.
Well, believing this is a stupid way to live. feeling that those who for whatever reason can't work shouldn't be punished and left to suffer, luckily we have social services to help people out and they are not left on street corners to die, I have to say that when given your two points of view of two political parties, according to your beliefs, the first, or democratic way of life is the only posibility that can see for a life to live in

Answer 6

I support people who don't make false claims like your self saying that Republicans are calling poor people lazy you know that's not true.

They just don't give people money and support them, they try to teach them to support themselves, unless you would rather not have that, but I don't know why you would want to keep on supporting people that can support themselves.

The only people who should stay on government aide are people who have no way of getting off of it, like injured or disabled. Not people who are finding a way out of getting a job. My buddy and his wife aree getting government help, and he told me of people getting around the system. That is why the system is made like that those who want to find work can, those who don't want to aren't going to get a free ride.

I make very little money a year and I'm a Republican in fact I make under $26k Just so you don't think I'm rich.

did you know that there are middle class that are so called rich that are getting taxed extra already and the Democrats want to tax them more. These are small business owners that they claim they want to help. These people have expenses like everyone else. I'm not saying make the poor or middle class pay more but the whole burden shouldn't fall on one set of people especially since they only mention the higher half of the upper class, when the lower class are still working people and they get taxed too.

There was a tax guy at a seminar my brother attended who was saying how not taxing everyone was saving a year, and that has been said over and over but them Democrats just want to keep on taxing people.

Answer 7

wealth distribution? I don't know of anyone who advocates distributing wealth in the USA. Sounds like something people make so they can win an argument.

The debate that is going on between liberals and conservatives is whether policies should be in place to allow the rich to keep the rest down, while they make out like fat cats. Or should we have the rich pay their fair share in taxes to society to help make society function so that all kids get a decent education and have a chance at growing up and making something of themselves, or let them grovel in the ghetto so with no chance of getting out so that they are perpetuals serfs to the rich? Do we want good police and fire departments for the whole of society, or do we let the rest of the country fend for themselves with minimum services while the rich hire private police and private fire departments.

Anything is possible, it just depends what kind of heart you have and what kind of sense of fairplay and fairness you have, whether you are a christ like person or a greedy filthy money changing Pharisee.

Capitalism is our way of life and is in fact the best economic system. Rampant out of control dog eat dog let them eat cake i got mine so screw you lets send all of our citizens jobs to china and bring in millions of mexicans to take their more jobs and depress their wages capitalism is not good either. Anything done to an extreme is usually not good. Say yes to capitalism but to capitalism that has a sense of fairplay and a sense of compassion...one that shows that we are truly a society with a "christian" heritage.

Answer 8

Actually, Calvinists believe in Grace over Work. It's the U in Tulip.

TULIP is the acronym for the basic ideas of classical Calvinism.

(The simplistic version)

T -- total depravity. This doesn't mean people are as bad as they can be. It means that sin is in every part of one's being, including the mind and will, so that a man cannot save himself.

U -- unconditional election. God chooses to save people unconditionally; that is, they are not chosen on the basis of their own merit.

L -- limited atonement. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was for the purpose of saving the elect.

I -- irresistible grace. When God has chosen to save someone, He will.

P -- perseverence of the saints. Those people God chooses cannot lose their salvation; they will continue to believe. If they fall away, it will be only for a time.

EDIT:
Sorry, I didn't answer the question you asked because the premise is incorrect. I thought you might want to understand the basis of Calvinism should you want to rethink your question outside the religious parameters you're using as comparisons. If your basic question were to read: Do Liberals think everyone should share and Conservatives believe I got mine and the lazy can work for theirs... that's a different question, and possibly not as academic. You'd get more responses from people who would understand the general name calling instead of leaving it buried beneath religious hyperbole.

One more thing. Wealth inequality exists in EVERY form of government, even communist governments. There will always be the people making the rules and most of them get a little greedy and want their lives to be comfortable. I have also traveled the world and have seen rich and poor in every country (over 100 of them at this point).

Answer 9

You question displays the Democratic mindset beautifully with the way you paint the arguments. First off, Republican's do not believe in wealth distribution. They believe in Freedom. They believe that your success and dreams do not need to be "capped". They do not believe in punishing success. They also believe in ALL of the American people. They believe that you should have the opportunity to be successful and when all that hard work pays off.... you should reap the rewards. They encourage growth and capitalism. They have the belief that all are capable. They also believe in allowing YOU to decide how to use your earnings. To apply them to charities of your own choice, to direct those funds to causes YOU believe in.

Yes, the Democrats don't believe in its people. They believe the poor are stupid and lazy and that they can not achieve success. They build these social programs designed to keep these people at the poverty level. These programs destroy the human spirit and basically say "Here... you are not good enough to make it on your own.... we have taken from the success of others who are better than you and we will just hand it to you. We will take care of you in every aspect because you can not do it on your own." It kills the human spirit. When you are treated like you are nothing and like you couldn't possibly achieve what others have, do you actually think that helps?

No one EVER became successful and held onto that success when it was just handed to them. Even the rich will end up flat broke if they don't apply themselves. Look up the stories of the Vanderbuilts and the Rothschilds. You will see what I am talking about.

EDIT; Yes, I wrote that and your point is? Are you refering to seeing wealth inequality? This country does not gaurantee you monetary equality. It was not set up to gaurantee you shelter, food, healthcare or any of those other things libs try and paint as "rights". Our country DOES say that the government will not dictate to you how to worship and it will give you the freedom to work and be as successful as your hard work and ideas will allow you to be. The governments role should be minimal. Namely the protection of our land (including our borders) and the protection of our freedom. The infastructure for society and the apporopriate governing offices to operate our states and cities. That is about it. Society should take care of the rest as human beings.

When will the Dem's drop this whole "class envy" thing and realize that, while there are some creeps at the top, there are also creeps at the bottom and that many of those at the top employ the masses and they also start and fund many of the charities that actually make a high impact on people. Wealth is neither good or evil. It can be used for both. It is the individual that uses money to each end that dictates its effect.

Answer 10

Where the heck do you get your information?
The republicans certainly do not take the stance that if your poor your lazy,second the republicans believe you should keep the money you earn,there is no distribution of wealth.That is a totally democratic liberal point of view,to take money from the people whom earned it and spend it their way,you definitely need to get away from Frisco and see more of the world,you are very confused.