Do the poor deserve to live? [View All]

Earlier today there was an interesting thread asking whether the rich deserve their wealth.

After doing some thinking and rethinking of the various aspects of that question, it occurred to me that maybe the more salient question, in terms of politics, is

"Do the poor deserve to live?"

I thought it would be interesting to try to make a discussion of the question as accessible as possible, to people who may not have done a lot of academic study of economics, ethics and lions and tigers, oh my! but who are thinking people who have interesting ideas.

To oversimplify to an extent that will horrify the academics, there are basically two opposing schools of thought.

One: law of the jungle. If I am bigger and stronger than you, I therefore have the inherent and inalienable right to hit you in the head and take your food.

Extrapolate that to the modern day equivalent which spans everything from me being smarter than you and getting the promotion based on that alone, to me being born in a rich family and you to an indigent crackhead, to me being willing to lie cheat steal kill hurt puppies sleep with Arnold to get the bucks and you being restrained by scruples and conscience, etc etc.

Two: We have a moral/ethical/religious/evolutionary/other flavor obligation to do what we can for our fellow man for the greater good of all/progress of the species, no one should stand before a hungry child stuffing their mouths with cake, every human being has an inherent and inalienable right to that which is necessary for his basic needs to the extent that his fellows are able to provide it, etc etc.

So what do you think? If I have two loaves of bread, and you have none, do I have the right to eat one and throw the other one away?

Does anyone have the right to take one from me and give it to you?

Which will benefit humankind more? For you, less able to obtain bread than I, to starve, thus ensuring that my genes and not yours swim in the pool?

Or for someone to take my second loaf and give it to you so that your genes swim too and/or to protect me from harm you might do me in your desperation?