Is it right or wrong to take one person's property and give it to another?

[pianistimo]

Simple question.  Simple anwer.  Or, complex answer - but there's really nothing in our constitution that says 'take from the rich to give to the poor.'

'A wise and frugal government ...shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.'  Thomas Jefferson

Why should we suddenly give up the right of earning our own money to the government? 

I'd say it's breaking the commandment about stealing.  And, the constitutional right we have to personal property.  Is the constitution being broken as we speak?  Are there any debates as to what the constitution says about a 'new economic plan.'  Did Paulson make the first break for us?

[thalbergmad]

I'd say it's breaking the commandment about stealing. 

I'd say that is totally irrelevant to the 21st Century

[ramseytheii]

I never understood anti-tax Christians, for the sole reason that all of their problems are contradicted succinctly in the Bible (Matthew 22:15-22).

Also, the thought that money is "yours" is inherently wrong too.  We all made a compact (in the form of a constitution) to allow the government to create money.  Money belongs to the government, and it always will, because they are the ones that make it.

Is it wrong to take from the rich, to give to the poor?  Why don't you ever ask, is it wrong to take from the poor, to give to the rich?  What has happened in America over the last twenty years is the biggest redistribution of wealth in the history of the Western world.  The more the richest Americans get the most disproportionate tax relief, the more the rest of the citizens must shoulder the burden.

In the end, every tax is a form of wealth redistribution.  A $700 billion dollar payment to the financial sector is the same thing.  There has to be a consensus in the country, on how those taxes are used (ie distributed).  I hope that in the next few years to come, that consensus will be built on the idea that we are all connected, and our actions have profound impact on other peoples.

If we are not asked to pay money back to the country, we will not have a military; we will not have an infrastructure; we will not have hospitals or drug research, things that get so much help from the government.  It's time for Americans to wake up and smell the coffee, and realize that if they want to sustain their way of life, they are responsible for it as well.  It is greed that says, we want bridges, roads, hospitals, schools, fire departments, police departments, military, and everything else, but we don't want to pay for it.

Walter Ramsey

[ramseytheii]

By the way, your postscript is wrong:
"'and this be our motto: 'in God is our trust.'  from Francis  Scott Key - national anthem"

is definitely not a line from the national anthem.

Walter Ramsey

[pianistimo]

in God BE our trust.  Something like that. Yes. it is part of the national anthem.  The part that is several verses down.  Near the end.

Ok Ramseytheii, just so you don't think I'm for dumping money in the ocean and not giving to the poor, I'd agree that it is proper for those who have wealth to share. What is improper is for the government to randomly take.  Do you know that the wealthiest americans have also been very generous to many causes?  It is often the government that wastes the money.  There is less bureaucracy to give directly to the poor or directly to a school or directly to whomever.  Let the PEOPLE do it.  Not the government.

SMALL government works much more efficient.  Is less wasteful.  And, isn't so grabby or insensitive to personal private matters!  Privacy is an American dream, too, isn't it. 

The bible says that 'if any should not work - neither should they eat.'  How about sitting that down on the plate along with some tax breaks for various things so we can afford to cut spending in our personal lives instead of acruing more and more debt to pay for more government idiocy.

[mad_max2024]

The bible says that 'if any should not work - neither should he eat.' 

Tough luck for the handicapped...

[pianistimo]

That is complete nonsense.  Unless you are unable to move - you can work.  I know many handicapped people who work.  However, there are ALREADY many government programs in place for those who are handicapped.  Many many churches give to members who are handicapped in their churches and provide things for free.  Volunteerism works better than government bla bla (they take the money and run).

[gyzzzmo]

Jeez pianistimo, i hope you dont forget that with taxes you fund your army. And you do need that army to kill all those millions of heathens!

[thalbergmad]

Unless you are unable to move - you can work. 

Do you work??

[morningstar]

Jeez pianistimo, i hope you dont forget that with taxes you fund your army. And you do need that army to kill all those millions of heathens!

They need millions of people to pull that off, don't forget how they use that huge army. Throwing more and more soldiers at the enemy til they break through by force of numbers...think of the people dying unnecessarily for your country, in confilcts they should not have a part in!

[mad_max2024]

Do you work??

I'm guessing she wouldn't eat if she didn't

[richard black]

   
Is it right or wrong to take one person's property and give it to another?

It's wrong. But if you investigate the history of government you'll find that that's not the point of tax-raising.