ASSIGNMENT 04
FAIR’S FAIR
“IS IT OK”
Note:
Fact 1: Nicky Oppenheimer, the wealthiest South African has net worth of about
ZAR 90 billion
Fact 2: One out of every five South Africans lives below the food poverty line.
HAVING IN MIND THAT “THE WEALTH OF THE FEW DEPENDS UPON THE
POVERTY OF MANY”
According to me it is not ok for Nicky Oppenheimer to have a net worth of ZAR 90
billion as in South Africa there are poor people and poverty. According to LCS
2014/15 approximately 40.0% of South Africans were living below UBPL
(www.statssa.gov.za>. Even though I believe that people would have no respect
to each other if we were all rich as everyone would be his/her own boss. But that
does not mean that Nicky must have much money while other people suffer of
poverty.
Five facts about poverty in South Africa| statistics South Africa.
1. Principle 1- greatest equal liberty
“Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty
compatible with a similar liberty for others (Rawls, 1971, page 60). Rawls set out
to guarantee our most basic liberties example, the right to vote, the right to
freedom of thoughts and speech, the right to own property etc. Basic nonnegotiable human right. Regarding to this theory this not ok because it mean that
there is inequality. The conditions that Nicky’s family lives under proves that the
more/lot wealth is for those who oppressed us back while black were denied to
vote, freedom of speech and work their preferred jobs and where human right we
not available. For example, blacks were to work as slaves and even if today our
fathers have to work dig in mines while those on the office have to just process
the product using technology and advanced machines and process the product to
finished good but miners are payed less.
PRINCIPLE 2a-EQUALITY OF FAIR OPPORTUNITIES
“The second principle (or Rawls principle 2a) is the principle of ‘equality of fair
opportunity’ (Rawls 1971, pg 60). According to this principle any person
irrespective of where they sit in society should have absolutely equal education
irrespective of the accidents of birth –whether one is born into a wealthy family
or into poor family. Basically this principle tries to remove any benefit associated
with where people are born in society. According to me this does not take place
on blacks poor people have to go public clinic, schools which have poor standard
compared to those in model C schools and clinics. Even now the son of Nicky
Jonathan both own the South African’s largest private game reserve, Tswalu
Kalahari and his wife lives in Johannesburg and have a country estate in English
country of Berkshine
https://www.bloomberg.com
PRINCIPAL 2b- The difference principle
“Rawls third principle is a principle which he called ‘the difference principle’
(Rawls 1971, pg 60). This principle allowed some degree of inequality to be
considered what Rawls basically said was only inequality could not be detrimental
to the interests of the least well off in society-the poorest of the poor the weakest
of the weak. In fact it ought to be beneficial to the poorest of the poor.” If
inequality is a motivator, then inequality could drive poor people to do what it
takes to get rich, to take the future into their own hands and shed the shackles of
poverty (an example). I think that the wealthier people like Nicky must increase
the rate of tax they are paying to boost the economy and to help pay enough
grants for children and to make free education for all.
2. INEQUALITY USING JOHN VEILS OF IGNORANCE
The veil ignorance states that one’s need to forget themselves and what they
know and imagine, what type of world they would be in. Example, Nicky were to
be born where 90% were poverty struck, chances of him to be born in poverty
would higher but in the veil ignorance everything is fair, no one is above other,
opportunity are distributed fairly.
3. I think that we need to do something about the issue of inequality as it denied
many people to achieve lot of things because they are not equal in status wealthy
people. The government needs to do more to make those who are poor to have a
voice in things that would benefits the economy and introduce technology and
advanced machines for poor to improve their skills and knowledge.
4. It because I believe that everyone is equal regardless of their backgrounds and
everyone must be given the opportunity to participate to every decision the
government make as they impact all the society. By this everyone will be able to
come with ideas to every circumstance the government face like poverty,
inequality, discrimination, diseases as everyone will be given the opportunity to
solve the issues.
REFRENCE
https://www.forbes.com/profile/nicky-oppenheimer/?list=africa-billionaires
Accessed 2017
https://beta2.statssa.gov.za/?p=25al accessed 2015
www.statssa.gov.za>
Five facts about poverty in south Africa| statistics South Africa