Fair isn't Right

Income inequality in America is growing. Helping the poor by taxing the rich isn't "fair" because they worked hard for their money. It's their money so why should they be taxed at a higher rate just because they're good at making money?

I'm no economist and I don't know of a silver bullet solution, but I think starting with "what's fair" isn't the right question to ask. What about "what's right?" Is it right to have a system that allows for a growing amount of suffering in our own backyard?

It's not fair to ask the highest income earners to sacrifice more than the median income earners --- but it's not right that some people let food in their refrigerator go stale when other people are worried about where their next meal will come from.

One of my favorite scenes from Dumb & Dumber:

Harry Dunne: [shivering] Lloyd, I can't feel my fingers, they're numb!
Lloyd Christmas: Oh, well. Here, take this extra pair of gloves, my hands are starting to get a little sweaty.
Harry Dunne: Extra gloves? You've had extra gloves this whole time?
Lloyd Christmas: Uh, yeah, we are in the Rockies. Jeez!

It's not fair that Harry should have to give a pair of gloves to Lloyd, because he probably worked hard grooming and cutting dogs to buy his gloves. Harry earned his gloves and Lloyd had no right to ask for a gloves handout. But it wasn't right that Lloyd should suffer. 

I don't know how to solve income equality, but I'm confident we need to start with what's right instead of what's fair.