On Redistribution of Wealth: What do Obama and Romney Believe?

Part 3 0f 3:

The redistribution of wealth may be described as simply taking from one individual and giving to another. Usually it’s the Government doing the taking – income, savings and/or property – most often through progressive taxation. The objective of the redistribution is social justice – taking from the rich and giving to the poor until all are equal.

Can we achieve any kind of equality through redistribution? Here are some thoughts from Baptist Pastor Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). He delivered these words as part of a sermon in 1984:

• You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealth out of prosperity.
• What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
• When half the people get the idea they don’t have to work because the other half will take care of them…
• … and the other half get the idea that it does no good to work because someone else is going to get what they work for – that is the beginning of the end of any such nation.
• The Government cannot give to anyone, anything that the Government does not first take from someone else.

Let me be perfectly clear about the issue of redistribution. As they say in Texas – Obama is fer it and Romney is agans it. The two candidates couldn’t be any further apart on the redistribution of wealth in America.

As usual too much is left to our interpretation. President Obama has never made himself completely clear on redistribution. He’s made only two specific comments on this issue. He advised Joe the Plumber, “I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody. Later he opined, “I do think that at a certain point you’ve made enough money.”

At what point? How much is enough? When should one stop earning? I’m glad Bill Gates didn’t stop and leave us with just half a Window. Or Warren Buffet could have created only half as many jobs. Steve Jobs would never have returned to Apple. And should Mark Zuckerberg retire at 28?

Governor Romney doesn’t believe in the redistribution of wealth by the Government. He thinks we should have a substantial and temporary safety net for citizens who suffer misfortunes. He doesn’t support huge personal entitlement programs and endless welfare. He does support magnanimous acts of charity by men of means. He encourages everyone to give to charity and he sets an example with his personal generosity to many good causes.

I wish President Obama would be more forthright about what he believes about redistribution. I don’t know what he’ll do if he’s re-elected. I don’t know how much wealth he wants to spread around or how he’s going to do the spreading. I don’t know how much is enough.

Regarding redistribution, none of us know what President Obama believes in his head and heart. And he’s running out of time to tell us. All of who care – we’ll be casting our votes in just 84 days.

Please share with us your comments on the redistribution of wealth.

Read Part 1 and Part 2.

Ross Puskar is the author of Founding Fathers Know Best the political satire now available for sale at Amazon and Barnes&Noble. You can follow Ross on Twitter and Facebook and you can subscribe to his blog and you can like FFKB on Facebook.