Cooperman’s Ideas About Wealth, Poverty, And Distributive Justice

Read this article (Saslow, Eli. 2022. “The Moral Calculations of a Billionaire.” Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2022 (https://washingtonpost-com.proxyau.wrlc.org/nation/2022/01/30/moral-calculations-billionaire/?tid=pm_pop_b (Links to an external site.)

Based on the various forms of justice discussed in our module on social justice, write a critique of the article that supports or argues against Cooperman’s ideas about wealth, meritocracy, poverty, and distributive justice.

Your critique must be at least 1 page, double-spaced, with 12 pt font and 1 in margins. Be sure to address some of the following questions:

Some ideas, below. Try to incorporate at least three of these points in your critique, or else come up with your own:

• Cooperman noticed the extreme growth in his wealth over the last two decades, and he also noticed a shift in tone against those in his income bracket. To what do you attribute the change in tone?
• Cooperman asks, and now I ask you: In a time of historic inequality, what are the moral responsibilities of a billionaire?
• Cooperman is a self-made billionaire, starting up with very little and moving up the ladder of financial success working 80-hour weeks. He believese that that everyone else can achieve this with equivalent sweat equity and some luck. Do you support or disagree with his premise?
• Do you think Cooperman’s poor immigrant background helped or hindered his rise to financial success?
• What type of justice do you think Cooperman’s generous donations to various nonprofits, charities and religious organizations represent?
• Why do you believe Cooperman’s granddaughter was so socially aware of the poor living 7 miles from her home that she wrote a prizewinning poem?
• Cooperman stated, ““What made America great is our system of capitalism, incentivizing work and effort and ingenuity,” he’d written. “Capitalism has flaws, but socialism has no benefits. Why not spread my work ethic instead of just my wealth?” How do you feel about his statement?