The goal of government is to make it easy for people to behave well. To that end, a basic fairness, justice, must be enforced.
Crime is the basic injustice. But inequities, including extreme income inequality, also make it more difficult for people (at both ends of the spectrum) to behave well. (Power corrupts. And poverty has always lead to increased crime rates.)
Most would agree that those who work full-time should be able to pull themselves out of poverty. And does anyone really believe the very rich should pay lower tax rates than those who are much less wealthy? Yet, attempts to correct these injustices are described as “socialist” and class warfare.
A warlike, partisan, us/them mentality is incredibly destructive. It allows even the most honest search for justice to be portrayed as a hostile action.
Investment is not more important than work, “deserving” to be taxed at lower rates. Tax cuts for the wealthy do not “create jobs.” Unemployment benefits and repairing infrastructure are much more effective economic stimuli.
Preparation reduces damage from natural disasters. Financial crises are unnatural (and avoidable) disasters. Income inequality and 50 years of skyrocketing health care costs also hurt the economy.
Published 1/5/14 in the Rockford (IL) Register Star (rrstar.com)
Indeed, one might say that the first casualty of war is justice. Even a warlike, partisan, us/them mentality is enough to cripple justice.