From: laelth@yabbs
To: Xela@yabbs
Subject: re: earnings and Ayn Rand
Date: Tue Feb 15 11:29:29 1994

Alex,
    Thanks for the thoughtful reply, and thanks for wisely noting that you 
do not advocate the philosophy of Ayn Rand.
    Perhaps some people "create" wealth (farmers, factory workers,
laborers), but even these are not pure examples.  Factory workers do
not create the steel that they assemble together, farmers do not
create their own tools, etc.  The way I see it, the people who "get" most 
of the wealth (Capitalists, Industrialists, businessmen), don't create 
that wealth at all.  Thus, they don't "earn" the wealth that they get.  
Nor do they "deserve" it in any way.  Of course, I don't think that the
laborers that I mentioned "earn" or "deserve" the wealth that they get 
either.  Do you see what I'm driving at?  "Earning" and "deserving" and 
"creating" are completely meaningless terms when it comes to understanding 
how wealth is distributed in our society.  Let me repeat that.  "Earning" 
and "deserving" and "creating" are meaningless terms when it comes to 
understanding how wealth is distributed in our society.  Wealth is 
distributed according to some other formula.
    Maedhros and I have discussed what that formul might be in previous 
posts.  I can't say exactly what that formula is.  All I can say about it 
is that it's not FAIR.  It has nothing to do with "deserving" the wealth 
that you have because you "earned" it.  It has more to do with insuring 
that the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.  (At least, that's what 
happens as a result of everyone believing that they "earned" their wealth 
and status.)
    It comes as no surprize to me that Ayn Rand most readily come to the 
aid of those who wish to support the status-quo.  I hope to never agree 
with Rand on any philosophical point, and I'm glad that I don't in this 
case.

-laelth