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U.S. Should Not Help Tsunami Victims
Ayn Rand Institute ^ | Dec. 30, 2004 | David Holcberg

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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: charity; tsunami
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To: Grey Ghost II

I was being facetious.


61 posted on 12/30/2004 1:49:32 PM PST by MrLee
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To: Howlin

Only what was allocated by congress to my knowledge.


62 posted on 12/30/2004 1:50:09 PM PST by commonguymd
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To: MrLee
I was being facetious.

OK. My bad.

63 posted on 12/30/2004 1:50:15 PM PST by Grey Ghost II
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To: Howlin
Ah, our tax money is.So Rush is wrong when he goes on about the government misspending 'our' money???
64 posted on 12/30/2004 1:50:39 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: BradyLS

And the problem is the corrupt authorities of the region. The UN feeds that problem with their own corruption which is one reason they are so chipped off over the Aid Coalition.

How many more will die because of those same governments and blame Bush instead no matter how much the American government and her citizens give?


65 posted on 12/30/2004 1:50:51 PM PST by Jaded (Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. - Mark Twain)
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To: commonguymd

He has a discretionary fund.


66 posted on 12/30/2004 1:51:06 PM PST by Howlin
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To: bruinbirdman

Good post and it is correct.


67 posted on 12/30/2004 1:52:01 PM PST by Double Tap
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To: commonguymd

I can think of no better use for our tax money than to help these needy victims, can you? Or do you begrudge this kind of help?


68 posted on 12/30/2004 1:53:22 PM PST by Carolinamom
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To: Howlin
Correct - allocated by congress. The congress will have to approve anything above and beyond that. Republic form of Government again - you (us Americans) vote for the representatives that make these decisions. don't like to have the government allocate the funds to the president's discretion - vote them out.

My belief is that what we are doing is a good thing, and I hope we do more.
69 posted on 12/30/2004 1:53:46 PM PST by commonguymd
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To: Carolinamom

Where have I "begrudged" anything? Read my posts if you are so inclined to see how I feel.


70 posted on 12/30/2004 1:55:35 PM PST by commonguymd
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To: bruinbirdman

Brave words, but not the world we live in at present. At least GW is doing an end run around that crook Kofi. Or attempting to despite Powell this afternoon. Kofi couldn't cozy up fast enough.


71 posted on 12/30/2004 1:56:08 PM PST by hershey
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To: hershey
Brave words, but not the world we live in at present. At least GW is doing an end run around that crook Kofi. Or attempting to despite Powell this afternoon. Kofi couldn't cozy up fast enough

It is delightfully delicious.
72 posted on 12/30/2004 1:57:05 PM PST by commonguymd
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To: Grey Ghost II
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.

Government aid can be a tool to achieve policy goals, for example, we're giving away millions in Iraq to build a stable country. It is also in our interest to assist aid the victims of the Tsunami disaster for a variety of reasons including both economic and security.

73 posted on 12/30/2004 1:57:16 PM PST by 1LongTimeLurker
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To: ImpBill
I would venture to suspect if one properly explained that it is "our" tax dollars being given away a great number of Americans would take issue with it and like I and others on this thread feel that we, as individuals, should have and take the responsibility to make that decision for ourselves and not have "the government" arbitrarily make it for us. Especially given the shape "our national financial house" is in at the present.

Speaking as one american, the dollar or so of my tax money that the U.S. is using to aid the victims of this tragedy is money well spent. I will send along several hundred of my own additional funds.

74 posted on 12/30/2004 1:58:47 PM PST by 1LongTimeLurker
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To: BradyLS
I think if we warned them well in advance and the warnings would simply have been heeded, we were being extraordinarily generous where it counts and saving everybody millions, or even billions, of dollars in relief.

It was pointed out on another thread that the MSM had the information. The MSM could have broadcast it on the TV which would have been picked up in the hotels. Now, they are blaming President Bush when they had the opportunity to warn people.

75 posted on 12/30/2004 1:59:17 PM PST by DrDavid (Tomorrow will be an even better day...)
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To: bruinbirdman
Much of the money the govt. gives away to help themselves feel good about themselves comes from SS taxes. The same taxes that should be put away to pay for SS.

Our govt. tells us that SS will be unable to meet its obligations in the near future, but is it taking steps to put the money into a safe place? No, it is spending it and giving it away like there's no tomorrow.

Our govt. has obviously gotten too big and too unaccountable to the citizens, (we the people) who fund it.
76 posted on 12/30/2004 1:59:44 PM PST by Bullish
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To: bruinbirdman

LEAVE IT TO GODLESS Ayn Rand WHACK JOBS TO SAY SOMETHING CRAZY AS THIS.


77 posted on 12/30/2004 1:59:59 PM PST by mandingo republican (Libs are Baal & Moloch worshipers I tell ya! - FREE HK, CUBA & IRAN - www.geocities.com/nccwatch)
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To: bruinbirdman

I agree. Look at what the citizens here have donated to the Red Cross alone. Not to mention what is going to the Salvation Army and the scores of other charitable organizations. We are a good people. We will help. I don't need some two-bit suit with the morals of Ghengis Khan insisting on where my charitable insticts should best be laid.


78 posted on 12/30/2004 2:00:50 PM PST by ShadowDancer
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To: Radioactive
This area is 'prone to this activity'?

I must have gotten the wrong information. I heard this is unprecedented.

79 posted on 12/30/2004 2:01:00 PM PST by Trust but Verify (Their candidate uses rock stars to attract crowds. Ours IS a rock star!)
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To: Radioactive
Jesus Christ would not aprove of giving money to people to build houses again in an area that is.... lets face it...prone to this activity

To play Devil's Advocate for a moment, there has not been a tsunami in these places in well over living memory.

80 posted on 12/30/2004 2:01:57 PM PST by Centurion2000 (Truth, Justice and the Texan Way)
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