Thursday, January 14, 2010

Social Justice - You're Responsible for the Irresponsible

As Obama announces his plans on how to get TARP paid back we see yet another recurring theme within this administration.  That the responsible are always on the hook for bailing out the irresponsible.  Although now this goes beyond those tax payers who spent wisely bailing out those who didn't, or even tax payers bailing out irresponsible companies and expands to the responsible companies bailing out the irresponsible ones.

If a bank did not make irresponsible decisions and did not require TARP funds, that does not in any way relieve them from the responsibility of paying back those funds they didn't take.  (Say what?)  If a bank took the TARP funds but have already paid them back, they will now be held responsible for paying back the money that somebody else borrowed.

Obama says that this is to ensure that the tax payers are paid back the money they lent, but for this tax payer it offends my sense of justice.  I want the money paid back, but I want it paid back by the people who actually borrowed it.  Forcing somebody to pay a debt which is not their own is the definition of injustice.  And this from the people who keep touting Social Justice as their theme.

So what is social justice?  Is it the belief that somebody else should be punished for your actions?  Have we reinstated the whipping boy methodology?  This appears to be the case.

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