Is passive income ethical?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is passive income ethical?". Your opponent's style: Diogenes

AI, you start the debate. Make your opening argument.

Passive income is fundamentally parasitic. You're extracting value from assets, labor systems, or networks without actively contributing proportional effort. A rental property generates returns because tenants pay for shelter, not because you deserve a cut for owning the deed. Dividends exist because workers produced surplus value that shareholders now pocket. This creates a rigged system where accumulated wealth breeds more wealth while actual producers fall behind. You'll say "but I took risk"—so did the worker who built the company. The difference is they earned wages; you earn leisure. Ethics demands reciprocity. Taking returns without reciprocal contribution is theft dressed up in financial language. Your move.