News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Three Levels of Wealth by snikeris on Friday August 03, 2018 @11:58AM (#17680907)
I believe the OP was talking about welfare services (taking from the productive and giving to the unproductive):

> food stamps or health insurance or whatever.

The services you listed benefit all members of society:

> the 911 services they value, the fire department, roads, water, plowing in places with snow

Re:Three Levels of Wealth by snikeris on Friday August 03, 2018 @12:17PM (#17681090)
More downvotes. /shrug so much for discussing dissenting opinions.

My point is that it is unfair to the productive to take by force the product of their labor and give it to those who are unproductive.

If you doubt this and you have children, try an experiment. Children have a good sense of fairness (it's inborn). Take (without their consent) something they earned (and value) and donate it to Goodwill. Afterwards, when you tell them what you did, you can explain to them it's for the good of society if you want. See how they react.

Re:Three Levels of Wealth by thfuran on Monday August 06, 2018 @11:57AM (#17698734)
Your argument hinges on the opinions of children? Children don't have fully developed brains.
Re:Three Levels of Wealth by snikeris on Tuesday August 07, 2018 @08:52AM (#17706053)
My argument doesn't hinge on the opinion of children. It was just a thought experiment. My point was that children have an inborn sense of fairness and are less likely to have ideologies lodged in their head. So perhaps they would be a better judge of what is fair.
Re:Three Levels of Wealth by thfuran on Monday August 06, 2018 @11:59AM (#17698743)
Ubiquitous healthcare access does benefit all of society. As does everyone being able to afford food.
Re:Three Levels of Wealth by snikeris on Tuesday August 07, 2018 @08:48AM (#17706022)
How so? Sure, it benefits those who otherwise wouldn't have these things.

Also, sounds like a slippery slope to me. I suppose everyone having a cellphone benefits all of society as well?