From: Emlyn (emlyn@one.net.au)
Date: Mon Jan 29 2001 - 20:59:59 MST
>From Barbara's excellent post about what we do with "abundance":
> [Damien writes: "...society will pay everyone, as an inalienable right, a
> basic minimum dividend drawn from the productivity and wealth of the
> nation."--the problem with this is that society is made up of individuals.
> Productivity and wealth don't appear unattached to human effort. In order
> to "draw" them and make them available for distribution, one must first
> take them from the individuals who produced them--this is the libertarian
> argument, and it's valid, I think, to the extent that current distribution
> of wealth reflects a morally justifiable process]
I liked your post Barbara, and will probably respond usefully in the near
future. This is merely a quibble...
You seem to have used the above passage as justification/reference for the
libertarian position that a guaranteed minimum income is a flawed idea,
based on stealing from productive people and handing those stolen funds out
to others. I think you might find that Damien is not entirely supporting
this position with the above paragraph; notice the very strong condition
"...and it's valid, I think, to the extent that current distribution of
wealth reflects a morally justifiable process". An entirely open question. I
wont presume to speak for Damien; perhaps he can expand on what he meant
here?
Emlyn
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