From: laelth@yabbs
To: maedhros@yabbs
Subject: Who Profits?
Date: Tue Feb 15 12:43:29 1994

Aaaaahhhh ...

*laelth begins to see a chink in Maedhros' armor, a chink which reveals
the truth underneath.*

Maedhros said, very plainly, in his last post that HE profits from the 
status quo.  This comes as no surprize.  Usually it's those that profit 
from the status quo who defend it.  Logical, no?  This should also make us 
suspicious of Maedhros' point of view, should it not?  He's biased, and he 
admits it.  (We should admire his honesty.)

But the fact is, that despite what he thinks, Maedhros is exactly the kind 
of person I'm talking about when I say that the rich use the "earn what 
you get" philosophy to program the masses.  He's been programmed.  Look at 
what he says, "I work my ass off and don't get hardly anything to show for 
it."  EXACTLY!   That's precisely what the rich want you to do, work hard 
for NOTHING, or very little.  They get rich, Maedhros works hard.  
Something is wrong here, isn't there?  I'm not saying that Maedhros should 
be lazy.  What I'm saying is that I think people should be more fairly 
compensated for the work that they do.  That's all!

*finally, laelth jabs at the open chink in an attempt to deal a crippling 
blow.*

Maedhros finally responded to my main argument in his last post.  I have 
accused him of spreading a philosophy that aids and abbets the rich, and 
in his last post he finally acknowledged the truth of that accusation.  He 
defends the rich overtly (finally) in his last post by saing that they're 
not despots.  He lauds them for paying taxes and helping him get through 
school.  (Aaaawww ... isn't that sweet of those generous rich people?)

Who is he kidding?  The rich (like the rest of us) avoid paying taxes as 
much as possible, and believe me, they don't pay taxes out of generosity 
or some noble principle.  They pay taxes because they have to, and I say, 
make 'em pay more!  But the people who are really putting you through 
school, Maedhros, are the poor and the middle class.  The middle-class 
aand the poor together pay a lot more in taxes.  You should thank them for 
your education.  (Actually, you should thank liberals who continue to 
fight for education funding in Congress.  Believe me, the conservatives 
would (and have) cut funds for education.  No doubt, they'd cut the 
education budget more if they could.)

Let me ask you some tactical questions, Maedhros.  Do you really want to 
defend the rich?  Do you really find rich people so kind and generous?  
Are you realliy enjoying the status-quo so much?  Are you, perhaps, afraid 
to change?  Don't you see the programming that you espouse?  Can you find 
a way to work yourself out of this corner?  Do you even want to get out of 
it?

*laelth stops his brutal assault to parry.*
  
One final point, as for redistributing the wealth, yes.  I think that this 
would be a good idea, but I would not be so stupid as to advocate a system 
like the one employed by the former USSR.  In general, I steer away from 
arguing that we can create a utopian system ofor wealth distribution. As
I have argued before, such a system would be dangerous.  However, I do
believe that we can change the current system.  I shy away from claiming 
that I have the answers to the problems of the world.  However, I can see 
the problems with the status quo.  I am compelled to address those 
injustices when I see them.  And from what I've seen, the current system 
of wealth distribution in the US is unjust.

*laelth stands ready to parry the viscious onslaught that he knows will 
follow.*

-laelth