| richardhutnik said: Let me throw the story of the former NBA player, Ray WIlliams, into the mix: http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2010/07/02/desperate_times/?page=1 So, we should just say, "Well, in a free society, we will end up with people being forced to live out of their cars. That is the price of enabling people to pursue their dreams and get rich."? The guy is now living out of his car, after being a star player in the NBA. |
First off, what makes you think anyone is "forced" to live in poverty or that anyone would support a system that "forced" poverty on anyone? How is giving someone welfare and preventing them from gaining the education or experience that will lead them out of poverty not "forcing" poverty on them? How is lowering my standard of living to improve the standard of living of people who refuse to help themselves not "forcing" poverty on me?
By the way your example is an awful one because 5 people could have lived in (relative) luxury for the rest of their lives with 1 year of his salary; and it was his poor decision making that lead him to squander his good fortune and lead to his poverty. This man had opportunities beyond the vast majority of the population to get an excellent education and develop skills and relationships that would provide for him for the rest of his life, and he ends up with nothing because he wasted them.
