Q:

Subject: Wealth Distribution

Blaming Karl Marx?

I think Robin of Loxley (Robinhood) took from the rich and gave to the poor long before Marx was even born.

A:

Close, but no cigar on that one.

While similar, I doubt anyone can legitimately claim that the exploits of a fictional free-lance character can in any way measure up to the influence of a pair of real life economists (Marx & Engels), whose works have been the foundation for the establishment of real world governments that have murdered millions of their citizens in pursuit of the insane utopian dream of ultimate equality under communism - socialism.

Robin Hood was a nice fairy tale; but Marx and his followers have done very real damage to the world.

Kerry

Follow-Up:

I meant it to point out that "wealth redistribution" is not universally viewed as a bad thing.

Most Americans would agree that communism/socialism - the removal of property rights from owners and giving them in common to the citizenry* was a bad thing.

At the same time, most Americans would view Robinhood, a man who literally stole money from the aristocracy and handed it over to the commoners as a hero.

It is not so much the redistribution of wealth that people think is bad, but the reasons and the method

 

- posted by Kerry M. Kerstetter, MBA~CPA~ATP~ATA @ 4/10/2007 08:52:00 PM Send this post: