Posted on 12/30/2004 1:17:50 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Our money is not the government's to give.
As the death toll mounts in the areas hit by Sunday's tsunami in southern Asia, private organizations and individuals are scrambling to send out money and goods to help the victims. Such help may be entirely proper, especially considering that most of those affected by this tragedy are suffering through no fault of their own.
The United States government, however, should not give any money to help the tsunami victims. Why? Because the money is not the government's to give.
Every cent the government spends comes from taxation. Every dollar the government hands out as foreign aid has to be extorted from an American taxpayer first. Year after year, for decades, the government has forced American taxpayers to provide foreign aid to every type of natural or man-made disaster on the face of the earth: from the Marshall Plan to reconstruct a war-ravaged Europe to the $15 billion recently promised to fight AIDS in Africa to the countless amounts spent to help the victims of earthquakes, fires and floods--from South America to Asia. Even the enemies of the United States were given money extorted from American taxpayers: from the billions given away by Clinton to help the starving North Koreans to the billions given away by Bush to help the blood-thirsty Palestinians under Arafat's murderous regime.
The question no one asks about our politicians' "generosity" towards the world's needy is: By what right? By what right do they take our hard-earned money and give it away?
The reason politicians can get away with doling out money that they have no right to and that does not belong to them is that they have the morality of altruism on their side. According to altruism--the morality that most Americans accept and that politicians exploit for all it's worth--those who have more have the moral obligation to help those who have less. This is why Americans--the wealthiest people on earth--are expected to sacrifice (voluntarily or by force) the wealth they have earned to provide for the needs of those who did not earn it. It is Americans' acceptance of altruism that renders them morally impotent to protest against the confiscation and distribution of their wealth. It is past time to question--and to reject--such a vicious morality that demands that we sacrifice our values instead of holding on to them.
Next time a politician gives away money taken from you to show what a good, compassionate altruist he is, ask yourself: By what right?
David Holcberg is a research associate at the Ayn Rand Institute in Irvine, Calif.
"When you failed to do it for the least of these here brethren of mine..you failed to do it for me"
--J.C.
Word from the libertarians, eh? Interesting read. I definitely agree that we need to be taxed less so we can give more on our own accord.
Unfortunately I feel that the eurotrash will never understand this concept, especially in light of what Yawn Egghead said the other day....
Great article. The government has no right to give away what it has already stolen.
Spot on!!!
My wife's mother was wanting to donate $500 till we showed her that the government was committed to at least $35 million. She said fine and will now take her $500 to Vietnam and hand out rice and clothing as she does each year.
Check this out,
http://www.trimonline.org/congress/articles/crockett.htm
I will respectfully disagree with this. Sometimes goverments can do things that are much harder for individual groups -- mostly things on a grand scale.
and regardless of whatever pussbrain at the UN has to say about US being stingy -- screw 'em. Personally, I'd be happy to beat every two-faced UN turd with a baseball bat for their arrogance, but the tsunami victims should not suffer for UN stupidity
This is an interesting topic, and I'm sure I will get flamed for pointing out that over 1 million people die each year in underdeveloped countries, of malaria. Malaria has been eradicated in the US and is easily prevented here. This topic was discussed yesterday on conservative talk radio and I think the point was well made....
It seems we are one step ahead of the UN on this issue. They are planning on having a meeting to discuss how they can send aid and how the US keeps undermining them by doing things better and faster.
I hope the government doubles, triples, quadruples the aid just to p/o those tightwads (and help the victims).
You are confusing two concepts. According to Christ, we are all required to be charitable. That, however has nothing to do with the government unjustly taking a disproportionate amount of our wages, such that it's difficult to care for our families, so it can in turn give that money away.
It's not a phase, you ignorant newbie. It's Reality.
So wanting limited, smaller less expensive government is immature and selfish?
So many of my tax dollars are going there and to so many other similar causes I figure they got it coverd. I spend what they leave me on more pressing local issues.
....and you will note that, no matter how much of our money the government gives away, it's NEVER enough, anyway. We taxpaying Americans, whose wealth is gathered and squandered on boondoggle after boondoggle, are just too "greedy" and "stingy." The world takes our money, offers a tip of the hat, and then spits in our faces.</p>
It's an important movement.
Joining FR to insult is does not go over well with the kitties. Hold on to your hat!
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