The big debate in the U.S.: Do rich people deserve their money?
The Left cries "FOUL". CEO's are making many many times the amount of their employees. 1 percent of the population has 99 percent of the money [or something like that]. NO FAIR. So how do we make things fair? Tax the rich [almost] to death.
The Right says: The rich made their money FAIR AND SQUARE! What right does the government have to take away ridiculous amounts? These CEO's deserve their money and they also creates loads of jobs for people which makes them even more meritorious.
The Left: You cold hearted right wingers, white privileged buffoons, don't care about the poor. You ESPECIALLY hate people of color [and immigrants - but that for another post אי"ה].
The Right: We DO care about the poor - regardless of their skin color. We just don't think that the government has a right to forcefully take away our hard earned money to give to others - many of whom lose their incentive to work when they are supported by government programs. And by the way, big talkers on the Left, how much charity do you give?
Let's see three examples:
This week [this is from 2013] the White House released the Obama and Biden tax returns, revealing that our current president earned more last year—$5.6 million—than any sitting president in history. In addition to spreading the totality of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize winnings around to 10 different charities, the Obamas donated nearly 6 percent of their income, or $329,100, to worthy causes—equal approximately to the amount the Bidens earned last year. [And see here - but of course it is biased, like just about everything you read].
But the veep—long known as one of the less-wealthy members of the Washington political class—surrendered less than 2 percent of his income to charity, less than the typical American household donates annually. The average American gives 3-5 percent of his income.
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Charity starts at home, but not if that home is Gracie Mansion.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife gave a grand total of $350 to charity in 2017 on an adjusted gross income of $223,449, according to tax returns they released Tuesday. [THAT is GROSS!!]
It marked a significant drop from the first couple’s charitable giving in 2016 — when de Blasio was up for re-election — of $2,088 to charity. [Big bucks!!]
So if the Left cares so much about the poor then why do so many of them give relatively so little to charity? The answer is that they want OTHER people to support the poor and they want to keep their personal money for themselves. "HYPOCRITES!!" "MARXISTS!!!" So says the Right.
The Left responds: You cold-hearted-cruel-vicious-malicious-white-supremacist-bigoted-homophobic-Imperialist-blood-suckers. If there is a God [there is OF COURSE, but too many on the Left aren't sure], He will punish you. Also, your rhetoric is violent.
Who is "RIGHT"?
The Torah!!! The Torah holds [as I understand it] that the government should keep their grubby hands out of people's wallets [and lives] by and large. But there is a RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION to give AT LEAST TEN PERCENT to Tzdaka [preferably 20%]. Not "charity" which implies a kind gift but צדקה which comes from the word צדק which is righteousness - the strict letter of the law [point made by the Lubavitcher Rebbe ztz"l]. צדקה is not a gift but an obligation.
So make LOADS of money, appreciate it as a gift from Hashem, and then disburse large amounts to help the poor and indigent, thereby giving others the ability to survive in this world and yourself [besides the reward in this world] a BEAUTIFUL portion in the ETERNAL, REAL world.
"לא תסור מן הדבר אשר יגידו לך ימין או שמאל".
Don't be Right or Left but JEWISH!! [Although it is clear which side is closer to the Torah on many issues].
