Within our societies, we have poor as well as rich people. There are a number of reasons why the gap between the rich and poor keeps on widening. Several critics have said that we are living in a society that has been termed as man eats man society. It is a capitalistic society. In this kind of society, each and every person wants the best for him or herself. Little or no consideration is given to the neighbour. It has led to the famous epitome, everybody for himself, God for us all.
When analyzed critically, it is realized that the cause of poverty is structural. The society in which one finds himself will help in determining the type of person that such a person becomes. The society that we live in a capitalistic society i.e. it is a society where just a few people have the power to grow rich and the expense of a large majority.
The same can be seen when talking about wealth. The same capitalistic society allows just certain individuals to grow rich while the others are left behind. It is always said that these people have the power and the instruments of production. The rest of the group are just to follow and do whatever he says. They have very little. The poor people have very little opportunity to become rich in our current societies. The rich always fear when the poor become rich. It is because they fear that they might lose the means of production, the wealthy to do not have an equal opportunity of becoming poor. The wealthy becoming poor are something next to impossible. They would only achieve this status when they are faced by calamities. It is however very rear as they always have the means through which they can use to produce.
Skidelsky and Skidelsky in their Article "In Praise of Leisure", comes up with a theory that in a way I tend to support. Why would there be huge differences between the rich and the poor yet the resources available can favourably accommodate everyone. There is a big problem with our societies.
The wealthy have too much money. They sometimes even have what they do not need and what mesmerises is the fact that they are still working for more instead of relaxing. The rate at which people are taxed should also depend on the amount of wealth they have. Taxing people on a flat rate would mean that there are certain groups of people who are going to be exploited. If the society that we are living in as one is perfect, then the issue of the maximum wage would have been affected. It however cannot work in a capitalistic environment.
Invisible Hand as prominent moral justification of capitalism tries to purport that the forces behind capitalism cannot be seen. Capitalism consists of elements that cannot be seen. There are forces that control it, and none can easily see it. They can only be felt in some instance. The other moral justification which the Difference Principle proposes that Capitalism is now practiced differently as compared to the way in which it used to be practiced. Different people apply different maxims to ensure that they are where they are currently. I tend to believe that the concept of Difference Principle holds more waters. It is because; it is different ways that are applied to make the people become whatever they are. Several people have applied different principles to ensure that they are who they are today. Capitalism can however not be said to be moral. Therefore, none of these maxims can be used to justify Capitalism. People should try to embrace the Communalism where and people and about their brother's well-being.
Eminent Domain
It is the right that the government has to use private property for a public use and in most cases it is always done with the payment. The Eminent Domain, which the government exercised on the people of Fort Trumbull, was not done well. The people were evacuated in those places and since to date the areas have never been used to construct anything good. The land remains to be a wasteland. Even the people who had been staying in that place for quite a long were also displaced.
The ruling that was provided by the American court was one of the notorious rulings which have ever been made. The reasons that made the people to be removed from their areas of residence were also not convincing enough. The people were mistreated. Imagine the pain and hustle that one goes through as he or she during the construction process. Only to be told that they need to be evacuated. Then years later, it is found that the land has been turned into a wasteland. It is disheartening.
Sometimes I tend to believe that eminent domain is a legitimate role of the government. However, the way in which is applied is what in most cases goes in contrary to the rule of law. The people who are vested with the role of ensuring that the law is followed in most cases do not follow it. They always enforce the law for their selfish gain. It is the case that was observed in Fort Trumbull. Whenever government=s are planning to exercise eminent domain, they must ensure that the rights of the people are not interfered with. The people should be taken care of by their government. They are not expected to be mistreated again.
