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.
Some folks like big government when it does their bidding.
Gee whiz...none of the dollars handed out as foreign aid come from interest bearing accounts or bonds? Whodathunkit?
Why would you deem that a marxist opinion? I gave you the options on changing the process of allocating the funds. Voting. What is so Marxist about voting?
This is what I want to give to them: (Picture me shaking my hands up in the air singing.....LALALLALALALLLLLLAAAAALLALALLALALALLL). Just like they did when they celebrated 9-11. By the way...did any countries donate anything to our hurricane funds?
Well...isn't that precious. Not only were they dancing in the streets praising Allah for 9-11, they openly support Osama while demanding more money from us.
If indiviuduals choose to give, that's their business. But keep public money here!
GIVE ALL YOU WANT BUT I AGREE GOVT SHOULD NOT GIVE. WHIP OUT YOUR CHECK BOOK IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT
Excellent! Well said.
Thanks for the ping.
There is not necessarily a conflict between agreeing with this writer and believing in Christ. I think all Christians have a moral obligation to help Tsunami victims. However, I agree with this writer that the government has no right to confiscate our money and give it on our behalf. This is no diiferent to me than if my employer were to withhold a percentage of my wages without my permission and give my money to worthy causes. My money is mine to give and I would rather give it myself to Catholic Charities or the Red Cross to help tsunami victims.
No problem. Glad you to see you here!
Agreed. Another great point.
I think the "vast majority of taxpayers [who want] some of their tax dollars go to help tsunami victims" -- I am one of such taxpayers -- should be able to give their own money directly to the charity of their choice rather than have it taken from them via taxes and given by the government without consent.
Um, I think that means the general welfare of Americans. You twist/reason like a liberal.
You know it, brother!
Of course he would. One of the first effects of my conversion was a new and genuine concern for others. Especially for the poor, the disabled and the suffering.
When torn between your head and your heart, choose your head, because your head takes your heart into consideration. I believe the government has no right to confiscate my money and give it away to charity; I believe also that I am morally obligated to help victims of Tsunamis. What I would like to be able to do is keep more of my money and decide which of many charities I would like to fund to help the Tsunami victims.
It is not necessarily "unchristian" to oppose the US's giving aid to foreign countries. I give a great deal of my money to charity and I think that's what everyone should do. If i could keep more of my money from the clutches of the the IRS, I would give even more away. One, I don't believe the government has a right to confiscate my money and donate it on my behalf anymore than I have a right to pick someone's pocket and donate that money to my church; two, I have more confidence that an organization such as the Salvation Army will fritter away less of the donated money than will the US government.
You are why many people think of conservatives as cold-hearted bastards.
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