No it isn't , it's usually framed that way for politically derived reasons.
Helping one less fortunate person doesn't have to take directly take from another less fortunate person, there are more than just the less fortunate in the game.
it's an often parroted point right now, but if the ultra rich were taxed at the same rate as everyone else ( in whatever region was appropriate ) there would be a large influx of money that could be used to improve public services, support networks, education etc.
I personally don't think it would be used for that in any meaningful way, the system as a whole is broken, but it could in theory.
> I'm not less fortunate.
> I support helping the less fortunate more.
Agreed, same
> And I realize doing so is going to require sacrifice on my part -- I'm going to have to pay more in taxes/redress to fund that help.
Also agreed, in principle, but what you can personally provide pales in insignificance when compared to the sheer grinding machine that modern capitalism has become.
It's similar to "no plastic straws to stop climate change", yes, but also how about the 80+ % of actual climate change caused by the fossil fuel industries. less of a "whataboutism" and more of a yes, but also fix the bigger fucking problem.