Social Justice and Taxation

http://drhelen.blogspot.com/2010/06/injustice-of-social-justice.html

I don't usually quote from the comments, but this was just too good:

'JG said...

I've always thought that "social justice" means ...

... let the people who work and earn something keep what they work and earn. If I plant vegetables behind my house, and do all the work of planting, tending and harvesting, then you should probably just leave me alone.

The current paradigm is that you have to give a third or a half of your work up to people who just sit on their ass waiting for you to plant the vegetables.

So the income tax kind of sucks.

A further extension of my philosophy ... that you keep what you earn ... becomes very problematic for people, even on this Web site.

If you HAVE TO tax, take it away from people who have not earned the money.

There are tons of examples and tons of specific people.

Examples: Spouses of billionaires who become billionaires themselves without doing the work that led to the billions. Tax them before me.

Children and heirs of billionaires who become billionaires themselves without doing the work that led to the billions. Tax them before me.

Pretty much anyone who gets money without work. Tax them before me.

A consumption tax to replace the income tax would be more than cool. I earn money but don't spend a whole lot. I am taxed up the wazoo.

Some hooker who defrauded a rich guy by marrying him spends a whole lot and buys a whole lot of stuff, but she earns nothing. Tax HER instead of me.

Now to specifics:

Do you really think that Heather Mills deserves to be so rich vis-a-vis emergency room physicians, cancer researchers, firemen, policemen, computer scientists, veterans who were drafted into the Vietnam war and lost their legs ... and on and on.

Then quit being chivalrous and realize that life is unfair but society doesn't have to EXAGGERATE that unfairness. Take Heather's money away from her, give her a kick in the butt to boot, and give the money to several people who are WORKING but having trouble making ends meet.

Or don't tax at all.
5:47 PM, June 23, 2010'

I completely agree with this. Not only is it just, it corrects the awful incentives of our current set of taxes.