Easy grabbing of other people’s stuff

 Easy grabbing of other people’s stuff

Robin Hanson hypothesizes that talk – even highfalutin’ talk – of inequality is meant to justify the easy grabbing of other people’s stuff.  If Robin is correct, concerns about income or wealth inequality reflect instincts that are quite the opposite of any sentiment that should be called “progressive.”  A slice:
I suggest that most talk about the problems of inequality actually invokes this ancient hypocritical ability to covertly discuss where to find lots of nice easy-to-grab stuff….
But if those few very rich folks had real physical super-powers, we would be a lot more afraid of their simple physical retaliation. They might be very effective at physically resisting our attempts to take their stuff. So somehow, conveniently, we just wouldn’t find that their unequal wealth evoked as much deeply felt important-social-issue-in-need-of-discussing moral concern in us. Because, I hypothesize, in reality those feelings only arise as a cover to excuse our grabbing, when such grabs seem worth the bother.

D.C. CIRCUIT SMACKS OBAMA: “The president may not decline to follow a statutory mandate or prohibition simply because of policy objections.”

Seems like this might apply in quite a few situations.

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FROM NEW LIBERAL BOOKLET:
Don’t assume the facts - and don’t wait for them.