Dave Smith > wrote in news:4a3651ec$0$5851
:

> Sure, we can agree that people don't have to pull their own weight, but
> that requires other people pull their own weight plus the weight of
> others.

You're assuming that if some don't others have to do it for them. I
dispute that. In fact I have suggested my plan befo nationalize
primary and secondary industries (leaving the tertiary finishing and
commercial sectors in the hands of capitalists) and give everyone (man,
woman and child) a sufficient guaranteed income, non-taxable. You would
immediately do away with welfare, disability pensions, unemployment
insurance (which in Canada is a large amount), retirement funds, reduce
the load on taxes, and ensure a healthier population. And you do away
with poverty.

The guaranteed income is inalienable, does not require service and can be
spent anywhere. In other words, if someone wants to retire to the
Bahamas and live in a hut at age 25, s/he can do it. People who do work
(and more would work than you think) would be taxed on the income over
their guaranteed amount. And work would be freed up by those who don't
wish to work, so there would be a. no unemployment, and b. no shortage of
jobs. People could be free to be a carpenter one year and a bookseller
the next (something advocated by Karl Marx, btw) without fear of losing
basic income. People could achieve their true potential instead of being
shackled to mind-numbingly dull jobs because of the fear of poverty.

To achieve this requires a fundamental change in attitudes...a revolution
if you will, but it would work. And no one who worked would have to
contribute their income to it. This should in fact be the plan those
whingers would want to implement if they actually thought about it.

Another (less exciting and much less revolutionary) way is to put some
money into a microloan organization like Kiva. I manage a small fund
(150$) on Kiva which goes to various projects around the world which I
select, and which help to create employment and lift people out of
poverty.

www.kiva.org

But I still think the first plan is the better one. However, I know how
people will react, so I'm not holding my breath.

--

Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest
of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest
good of everyone. - John Maynard Keynes