Comment by ianleeclark | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ianleeclark | Hacker News Reader

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> I am absolute against such a thing, in fact I consider it an insane proposal.

44 minutes ago

> Whether it should be possible to be arbitrarily rich is another question.

You were so close to getting it, what happened to you?

> Well, again, start accumulating capital, if it is such an unfair advantage.

Hey, person who can barely make it to get by and spends all of their income on subsistence-level living, why don't you just get more capital?

> The acts of their parents are not the children's fault, of course, and everybody should be given a fair chance to make it in life. But there are limits.

You continually try and straddle the line with these declarations, but just draw completely arbitrary distinctions: everyone should be given a fair chance to make it--but what is fair, how is this decided, who enforces it? What are these limits and why are they decided? There's no rhyme or reason to what you're saying, just whatever sounds the best to you.

> And even more basic than that: people should be allowed to do with their money as they please.

So it's perfectly acceptable when Coca Cola sends death squads to kill labor organizers. The ancap fever dream is terrifying.

"> Whether it should be possible to be arbitrarily rich is another question.

You were so close to getting it, what happened to you?"

There is a difference between limiting how rich anybody can get, and taking everything away from families if the head of family dies.

"Hey, person who can barely make it to get by and spends all of their income on subsistence-level living, why don't you just get more capital?"

How many such people even exist? If you barely make it, you should aim to improve your situation. Try to find a better job, try to learn skills that enable you to get a better job, and so on. Few people are really doomed to such a situation forever. And those who are, usually because of illness, need charitable help or insurance. It's a separate problem.

"everyone should be given a fair chance to make it--but what is fair, how is this decided, who enforces it?"

Well who do you want to decide what is fair?

I think markets are the best mechanism to establish fair prices. Other than that, you can establish some baseline - access to housing, food and education, so that people can try to make something out of their lives. It can be discussed. But certainly it doesn't mean fair has to be everybody has to have the exact same starting positions. It is not even possible, because not all parents are the same. If your parent is Paul Graham and he teaches you programming, you already have an advantage against other kids, even without economic resources.

"So it's perfectly acceptable when Coca Cola sends death squads to kill labor organizers."

Obviously not. I think you are being silly here. Basic laws still apply.

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