What gives society the right to have a progressive tax system that expects those with more to contribute more to the common good? Because there is a general belief that everyone is dependent on the community in which they live and should contribute to it.
Currently, extremely wealthy people get tax breaks for contributing to "charity". The majority do so by creating a Foundation of their own to invest in the charitable causes that they prefer.
However, taxation goes to where the community has decided is needed, hopefully through a form of representative government.
We should not have to rely on Bill Gates deciding to invest in vaccine research to ensure that it occurs. Some of his wealth, now accumulated, should be returning to the common-wealth via taxation.
This ensures that wealth does not accumulate within very small groups of people to the extent that the rest of society does not also share that wealth.
Currently, extremely wealthy people get tax breaks for contributing to "charity". The majority do so by creating a Foundation of their own to invest in the charitable causes that they prefer.
However, taxation goes to where the community has decided is needed, hopefully through a form of representative government.
We should not have to rely on Bill Gates deciding to invest in vaccine research to ensure that it occurs. Some of his wealth, now accumulated, should be returning to the common-wealth via taxation.
This ensures that wealth does not accumulate within very small groups of people to the extent that the rest of society does not also share that wealth.
In short, Ayn Rand was wrong.