• Draces@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    I’ll ask again, are you arguing that taking social security when you can is not in your self interest? The system doesn’t go away if you don’t take it and you’ve already paid into it. The wealth is already being redistributed and going to be redistributed. She is still going to have pay into the system if she lives. Not her decision for it to exist or pay into it. The decision is to take the money or don’t. Which is the decision that is self interested?

    • GoodEye8@lemm.ee
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      3 hours ago

      I’ll ask again, are you arguing that taking social security when you can is not in your self interest?

      Yes. That is exactly what Ayn Rand is saying.

      The system doesn’t go away if you don’t take it and you’ve already paid into it.

      And? Paying into it shouldn’t change your ideological stance. Or is a vegan allowed to eat meat if they pay to eat at an all you can eat restaurant that serves meat? After all they’ve already paid for the meat.

      She is still going to have pay into the system if she lives. Not her decision for it to exist or pay into it.

      Yes, she is being forced to participate in the system the same way socialists are forced to participate in a capitalist system. Nobody is calling her a hypocrite for paying taxes.

      The decision is to take the money or don’t. Which is the decision that is self interested?

      According to Rand. A decision made with rational self-interest is a decision that can’t sacrifice others and any redistribution of income is a distribution of sacrifice. That means any action in the redistribution process is not compatible with rational self-interest, because the process itself is sacrificing others. She gets a free pass on paying taxes because that participation is forced upon her. She doesn’t get a free pass on taking out social security because now she chose to participate in a process that is sacrificing others. Rational self-interest doesn’t justify her decision because she is choosing to sacrifice others.