Socialism, Equality and Robin Hood (Psec entrance essay)

What is social justice? If you look at the phrase itself, it would mean fairness that relates to a society or a community. But what does that entail? Does it mean equality for all people, and if so, in what context(s)? Does it mean that”… justice will be achieved in all aspects of society, not just in… law” As Wikipedia.com states? In order to discuss this topic, you need a basic definition, but that is harder to come by than you might think. For me, Social Justice is a community, even or situation in witch honesty and integrity are the standards by which justice is achieved.
In my research for this topic I came across multiple definitions of Social Justice, which varied somewhat. Glenbow.com claimed it was the,” The fair distribution of advantages, assets, and benefits among all members of a society.” This brings me to my social justice issue; that our society is in dangerous proximity to becoming a socialist nation. The statement above is just one example. Socialism is dangerous, because it starts out using people’s good nature against them, brining emotion into politics, and eventually stealing from the public under the guise of equality. Let me explain.
I call this occurrence Robin Hood-isim. From the time we are young, we have been told stories of how the corrupt rich man lords his money and power over the helpless poor. Then, a noble hero, like Robin Hood, takes from the rich man and gives to the poor. That makes for a feel good ending. But this becomes vastly dangerous when we apply this concept to society. The definition above states that advantages should be split evenly between members of a community. But is that truly fair? Those who work hard should reap the benefits of their labor, such as with the principals of capitalism. Does justice mean that those who contribute more who receive more? The principals of socialism allow people who are lazy to receive the same advantages as those who work their way in to success.
The name of accumulation of wealth has been diminished into something greedy, underhanded and selfish. Wealth brings to mind expansive mansions and fast cars, self-indulgent people living in surplus in luxury. If someone looks at capitalism from the viewpoint of the poor, they would be inclined to see this as unfair. But if they are not working and are able to, then their economic situation is just. Capitalism, allows those who are willing to put forth the effort a chance to get ahead, and that is truly fair.
You might say that this is technically not a social justice issue. But if we look at the definition, it absolutely is. Taxing the rich to pay for the poor, “evening the playing field”, ”equal distribution of advantages” are all clever covers for outright theft by the government. And if stealing is not considered a breach of integrity, then I don’t know what would be. I’m not saying the underprivileged should not receive help, if a man or woman is unable to work due to age or physical disability, then that’s a situation where it’s our duty to help. But illegal immigrants and those making a living on welfare are a liability to our nation, and should not be given the same advantages as the working class.
If social justice is a true goal of America, I think we must return to the standards for witch our founding fathers. America is a capitalist nation, but we are being led astray by the liberals, political correctness, and even the word “equality” itself. In striving for equality in all aspects of life, we have lost the value of labor. Equality may mean that all people should be equal, but that should never mean the benefits of labor and skill should be taken from the deserving just because there are those who are unwilling to sweat. The mindset of America needs to change, because justice is a trait worth fighting for, and working for.