Who decides how much is allowed?
Aug 30, 2011
Sam Harris: How Rich is Too Rich?
even in the ideal case, where obvious value has been created, how much wealth can one person be allowed to keep? A trillion dollars? Ten trillion? (Fifty trillion is the current GDP of Earth.) Granted, there will be some limit to how fully wealth can concentrate in any society, for the richest possible person must still spend money on something, thereby spreading wealth to others.
[Emphasis mine.]
And the inevitable atheist tendency towards totalitarianism finally shows through. Rich people aren't "allowed to keep money". They have it. It's theirs. As in, not yours, Sam. This is called the principle of private property, and upon it all the wealth of the Western world is founded. Or rather, was founded before it was turned into collateral in a ponzi scheme.
When I read "The End Of Faith," and came face to face with Harris's ignorance, arrogance, and unwillingness to draw important distinctions, I realized immediately that he must be a left-liberal. Only a left-liberal would condemn the beliefs of others (and vilify them for daring to hold them) while elevating his own, utterly groundless assertions to the status of Holy Writ.
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto | Aug 31, 2011 at 04:48 AM
"And the inevitable atheist tendency towards totalitarianism finally shows through."
Ah, the inevitable christian tendency towards bigotry and arrogance finally show through. What else can you expect from people with imaginary friends?
Posted by: Alex | Aug 31, 2011 at 07:26 PM
Alex, our "imaginary friend" provided us with ten commandments. Just ten. That's all. Your unfortunately-not-imaginary-friends want to bury us under ten million commandments -- all of them to be enforced at gunpoint.
I think I'll keep my "imaginary" friend, thanks. And I'll thank you to keep your friends away from me.
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto | Sep 01, 2011 at 04:48 AM
If you think the "ten commandments" are provided as an itemized list, you're completely ignorant about your own religion. Depending on how you count them, there are anywhere between 4 and 613-ish. Moreover, if you're a christian and accept the idea that a corpse on a stick absolved you from having to follow biblical law (as most christians do) then you actually have only one commandment: "accept jeebus". The rest are all optional; you can kill, rape, cheat and steal, and you still go to heaven!
That's the wonderful thing about these ancient superstitions; you can come up with all sorts of different conclusions about how to live your life, just depending on what you decide to pull out of that choose-your-own-adventure book which people call "the bible". I just think it's hilarious that atheists know more about your religion than you do :) How about, instead of just talking about the bible, you actually try reading it?
Posted by: Alex | Sep 01, 2011 at 03:12 PM
I do believe you're referring to the Book of Leviticus, Alex. In case it's escaped your attention, I'm a Christian; part of Christ's mission among men was to proclaim the "new and eternal covenant," based upon His teachings. At any rate, my book is the New Testament, of which Leviticus is not a part.
You can deride my faith as much as you like. ("Corpse on a stick" -- ? Can't you at least try to be original? Incidentally, we believe He rose from the dead; it's the key miracle upon which His authority is founded.) It suits me, and I'd bet a pretty penny that you have nothing to compare to it except what you think would be "good rules" for Mankind to live by. But that's in the nature of your Militant Atheism, which is a faith of its own: the creed that proclaims, without any evidentiary substantiation, that there cannot be a God.
This also may have escaped your attention:
The founder of my religion said, at another time:
The first three of the Ten Commandments, about worshipping only God, about speaking of Him only with respect, and about reserving some time for worship out of each week, derive rather naturally from the First Great Commandment. The others, cited more specifically by Jesus to the "rich young man," flow from the Second Great Commandment. The aggregate, from which prohibitions against rape and so forth can be rather easily deduced, constitute Natural Law as it applies to Mankind.
Feel free to take issue with any of that, but I'm afraid we'd have nothing to discuss. I never argue with the dogmatists of other faiths. And now, you can have the last word if you like.
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto | Sep 02, 2011 at 04:31 PM
"At any rate, my book is the New Testament, of which Leviticus is not a part."
Which, of course, is bullshit, since you brought up the ten commandments, which happen to be part of the old testament. You also, apparently, believe in original sin - again, part of the old testament - without which the sacrifice of your holy zombie is completely pointless. Like all christians, you pick and choose randomly until you find something that sounds good to you, and doesn't elicit immediate laughter from laymen. It's hilarious to watch :)
Posted by: Alex | Sep 02, 2011 at 09:49 PM
Alex, as an atheist, I must say that your attitude is most unhelpful.
Posted by: Classical Liberal | Sep 06, 2011 at 03:01 AM
It takes a special kind of dimwit to start a sentence with "as an atheist ..."
You don't need to try and ingratiate yourself with me, as if we were in some old-boys-club, before you bring out the criticism. In fact you should probably avoid it; it's most unhelpful. If you have something valid to say then spit it out - otherwise stay out of my way.
Posted by: Alex | Sep 06, 2011 at 11:38 PM
Alex, I wonder if perhaps you are overcompensating for a certain shortcoming?
Posted by: Classical Liberal | Sep 07, 2011 at 12:40 AM
I am in awe of your wit and superior intellect. Please let me know how I may subscribe to your newsletter. Thank you.
Posted by: Alex | Sep 07, 2011 at 01:03 AM