The following is something that is getting circulated. On the surface, the logic sounds good, and it would be good assuming some other things are true as well, so here is first the circular followed by my response
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
You also shouldn't legislate special breaks for those who already are doing so well, especially those who get bonuses as they run companies into the ground or take from consumers with crafty financial products. You can't make a society richer by increasing inequality. An increasing number of poor people means a less productive society for all.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
There are people at all levels that "game" the system but unfortunately the ones at the top that do the most damage are the ones that harm others with impunity. When wealth is about "money changing" and not about investing in society, productivity suffers because the investment is no longer going toward good works.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
Corporations can manipulate the government so that they can take from people legally with monopolistic practices. How can capitalism be a "zero sum" game? To make the assumption we don't need government would be absolutely insane. Instead governments have always played a role in making sure the playing field remains fair,
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
You can multiply productivity by dividing work. To have beneficial work, there must be investment in the work including education, safety, factories and health. The benefits of work are divided among those who do the work if there is ample investment to make worthwhile work possible. But often wealth is stolen or unjustly acquired as has been the case throughout history and the government must play its part incorrectly inequitable and unjust business practices
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
When those who control wealth no longer invest in the country that made their wealth possible, sooner or later the people will find out and take it back. There are also wealthy people who don't work either, and they just get handouts in a different way though inheritance. I don't know were you get "half", as a lot more than half the people I know work very hard.