Monday, November 4, 2013

Understanding Redistribution Of Wealth

I will admit that there are somethings that I am a little slow to grasp. Apparently "Redistribution of wealth" is one of them. I thought that I understood it. I never agreed with it. It is wrong. It's just flat out wrong. What is yours is yours. What is mine is mine. Simple and honest. I think most people will agree that even the government must "take a dip". We do need a government. Just one far smaller and less intrusive than the one we have now.

But I thought that redistribution was meant to take a little bit from those that have done well and pass it along to those that have had more difficult times. Now while that can be a worthwhile goal, it is probably not a goal government should be involved in. When government tries to be a charity, it is neither governmental nor charitable. It becomes restrictive, controlling, and sunk in an overabundance of paperwork. More often, it becomes a work program for those that graduated with degrees in sociology.

But today we are faced with the first administration that has actively and forcefully attempted redistribution. Somehow, however, they have gotten it inside out or backwards or something. It appears to me that the redistribution is going far different from anything that I considered it may have been. The first thing that happened, is that the price of fuel doubled within a very short period after this administration took office. Who was harmed? Not the rich. They could afford fuel even if the price doubled again. It was the poor and middle class that took the brunt of that hit. Who benefited? The oil companies benefited. Higher prices, higher profits. The government benefited. More tax money to spend. The banks and green companies benefited. That is where a great deal of the money that went to the government landed.

Now we have Obamacare. Health care represents one sixth of the economy. There are huge dollars involved here. And suddenly, in spite of often repeated promises, people are losing their health care insurance. Those that have seen what their new insurance will be find themselves paying more with larger deductibles. Who is harmed? Not the rich. They can afford it. Once again, the poor and the middle class take the hit. Who benefits? The insurance companies temporarily. But they are ultimately in the sights of the administration. 

Liberal politicians want a one payer system. That one payer would be the government. They would set the rates we pay. They would collect the money. They would control payments to providers. They would control what health care would be provided and what would be disallowed. They would control the Sword of Damocles, and that sword would be hanging over all of our collective heads. Mean while they could, and would, spend that huge inflow of cash where ever they wished. Now we all understand the redistribution of wealth.

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