The relationship between hard work and income is very slight. The price of labour comes from supply and demand. There's little shortage of people willing to work hard. Skill, knowledge, networks: that's what people pay for, not hard work.
Now turn your perspective around. How fair is the distribution of educational opportunity and, especially, networking opportunity with powerful people?
Progressive taxes don't do my income any good. But I wouldn't be in the position I am today without them; I grew up poor, too poor to own a family computer, never mind a family car. I still resent the lack of information I had about educational opportunities. And more than anything, I wonder what we could achieve if the impoverished of the world didn't need to scratch out subsistence living, and could instead apply themselves to the limits of their ability.
Now turn your perspective around. How fair is the distribution of educational opportunity and, especially, networking opportunity with powerful people?
Progressive taxes don't do my income any good. But I wouldn't be in the position I am today without them; I grew up poor, too poor to own a family computer, never mind a family car. I still resent the lack of information I had about educational opportunities. And more than anything, I wonder what we could achieve if the impoverished of the world didn't need to scratch out subsistence living, and could instead apply themselves to the limits of their ability.