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Linux As a Model For a New Government?
An anonymous reader writes "The hedge fund investor who prided himself on achieving 1000% returns, Andrew Lahde, wrote a goodbye letter to mark his departure from the financial world. In it, he suggests people think about building a new government model, and his suggestion is to have someone like George Soros fund a new government that brings together the best and brightest minds in a manner where they're not tempted by bribery. In doing so, he refers to how Linux grows and competes with Microsoft. An open source government. How would such a system work, and could it succeed? How long before it became corrupt? Would it need a benevolent dictator (Linus vs. Soros)?"
"How about because it's morally repugnant to ignore the suffering of another person?"
How about it doesn't matter. Here's how it is. If you were stranded on a desert island, and it was just you and another person, would you expect that other person to feed you while you sat on your ass? Would you have any right to complain if they chose not to?
Maybe if you could gather enough food for both of you, you would share it with the other person, but what if you couldn't? Would you split what you have with them and wait while you both slowly starve to death? Then you'd both die. That doesn't make any sense.
This is the situation you set up for your self when you adopt the philosophy that everyone should be fed regardless of their merit. It's true that some people are disabled, but unless everyone contributes everything they can, you won't be able to provide for everyone.
You don't have a right (or a particularly good reason) to expect people to give you something for nothing.
"Rich people don't invest in new capital unless they are sure they'll get more money to hoard out of that investment."
Yeah, that's why they're rich. Why should they do otherwise? After all, they still invest.