[ExI] Charity vs. Entitlements

[Lee Corbin]

Rafal responds to Stathis:

> Stathis wrote:
> 
> > Charity is fickle and degrading; when
> > I'm given something I want it to be
> > because I'm entitled to it.

Exactly!!!   I myself probably just suffered a family
reverse because I had been too generous to a sibling.
The poor resent the rich anyway, and generosity
only makes it worse, at least for all too many.

I congratulate Stathis on seeing through to the way that
poor people really think, despite his own favorable 
position. (As for me, for some reason I am incredibly
grateful to people when they do me a favor because
they have some talent I lack;  I *believe* that I'd really,
really be grateful if some old friend struck it rich and gave
me a million dollars.)

So I'm afraid that it may be *inevitable* that our democracy
will begin voting itself entitlements.  Note that here in the
USA a sudden splurge of government "entitlement" has
just been inflicted on the economy---the so-called stimulus
package---at the same time that gas prices are rising.

So the proles are all going to see that as justified compensation.

Rafal responded

> ### The way I see it, the only, only thing you are entitled
> to is freedom from violence. You don't have any rights to
> anybody's time, money, resources. You don't have the
> right to take anything from others against their will. Even
> if there are 50 million of people like you, you still don't
> have the right to take anything from me. Merely "wanting"
> doesn't entitle you to anything.

Very true.  But completely inapplicable to reality at this
time, it appears.

Lee