Poverty, the Compassion Cartel, and Environmental Racism

American Policy Center ^ | August 5, 2019 | Tom DeWeese

[Twotone]

In 2006, I was surprised to find myself sitting at a formal dinner in the middle of a 200-year-old debating society at Cambridge University in England. In a few minutes I, and five others were about to engage in a debate over the usefulness of the United Nations. But here, for a few minutes longer, at the long dinner table with the crisp, white tablecloth, I was sitting next to one of my fellow debaters, Salis Shetty, the head of the UN’s Millennium Project.

I had ignored him through most of the dinner, but with just a few minutes left before the debate I finally turned to him and said, “You realize you don’t have a prayer, don’t you?”

He looked at me and asked, “About what?”

I replied, “Ending poverty by 2015 through the use of redistribution of wealth.” (That was one of the eight listed goals of the UN’s Millennium Project, accepted by world leaders in 2000.)

He said, “Yes, I know.”

I began to talk with him about the need to help the poor escape from poverty on their own rather than being condemned to life-long bread lines. I talked about the need to establish private property rights as a means to build wealth. I mentioned that there was estimated to be almost $10 trillion in “dead capital”(property in the world that no one is allowed to own or invest in). That’s enough capital to help a lot of poor people break out of their dire situation.

Mr. Shetty looked at me as I made these observations and said, “Hernando de Soto.”

“Yes!” That’s exactly whom I was quoting. De Soto is an economist from Peru who has made it his life’s work to help end poverty in the world by promoting private property ownership.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks for posting this...such a great article. I read half and will finish it tonight. Private property, the right to your own life, the rights to the fruit of your own labor, and a legal and government system that support those rights are the key to lifting people out of poverty.

Thomas Jefferson said it very well in 1776: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

Excellent article! Thanks for posting it.

[kralcmot]

Two replies so far to thank you for posting

so triple that

great article

BTTT

and join up, I DID

[marron]

Good article. De Soto is a must-read. Wealth comes from building and creating, but there are a couple of foundational conditions that must be in place.

The conditions for prosperity are (1) freedom to act on your own knowledge (2) the right to accumulate the fruit of your labor and (3) physical safety for your property and your person.

Freedom combined with rule-of-law. Its simple but not at all universal. Security for your person and property are really essential; people tend to think that poverty causes crime but its really the reverse. Crime causes poverty, and makes the accumulation of wealth impossible for all but the few able to secure themselves. If only the people at the top are secure, then poverty will be widespread. If most people are secure in their property and persons, then the country as a whole will prosper.

[bennowens]

Wow! What an article! I wish Jefferson had said something other than pursuing Happiness. Happiness is really fleeting (it is like a second derivative for you math majors). It is transitory. I wish he had referenced things like Peace and Joy, more fulfilling and longer lasting benefits.

[dp0622]

I wish he had said hot babes.

[Amberdawn]

One study of “environmental racism” happened to show that more whites were exposed to toxic areas than blacks. Little wonder we heard nothing about it. The UN exists to pay worthless leftists with jobs. It should be abolished.

[PGalt]

conservatism_IS_compassion

(ping)

[aquila48]

Bookmark

[Vince Ferrer]

Haiti is probably the top example. Years ago I saw someone what had studied and travelled to Haiti testifying to Congress. His first recommendation was to go to each plot of land and figure out who truly owned it. In most of haiti that isn't easy as it is "owned" by mutiple people.

If you don't own the property you live in, why spend money maintaining it? There's a logical reason why everything is falling apart in countries like that.

[aquila48]

“But of course, none of this is really about helping the poor or the ecology. It’s about power.”

Power is not even their first consideration. It’s their offended precious sensibilities and world view that are the driving force behind their thirst for power.

It’s a combination of a sick sense of egalitarianism and pagan primitivism that impels what Nietzsche called “tarantulas”. They are the crusading bleeding heart busibodies who have managed to gain a lot of power over us through moralizing and guilting campaigns. And we have fallen for their schemes and out of a sense of guilt we have surrendered our power to them.

To me the antidote to these guilt mongers is contained in the following exchange in the article:

“As I entered the door, I was confronted by one of the students, who asked with puzzlement – “sir, you really don’t believe in redistribution of wealth?”

I answered, “No, it’s theft.”

And she said, “But if you have more than you need, shouldn’t you share it with someone who needs it?”

I said, “Why should I?”

She looked like I had slapped her.”

That is exactly how these guilt peddling Gollums should be dealt with.

Remember, DO NOT LET THEM MAKE YOU CARE! (about what they care)

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

One of the best articles I have heard for the defense of capitalism and as a way to help alleviate poverty for so many people.

Thanks for publishing it.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

The third reason for depressed economies and a growing number of poor is what I call the “Compassion Cartel.” Government, private charities and foundations have made poverty big business. It’s the excuse for nearly every governmental spending program. Help the poor! Tax the rich! How dare they get wealthy while others suffer? And the preferred way to eliminate poverty is redistribution of wealth. It’s easy to convince someone to donate to a cause when emotions and guilt are employed. Reason and rational thought take a backseat.

I believe in giving a hand - but I’m not an entrepreneur, and entrepreneurs are what the poor actually require. The poor man needs a job. Give him a job, and the understanding of why he needs it, and he can begin to improve his circumstances. And learn to qualify for a better job - or even become an entrepreneur himself.

“Give a man a fish . . .”

Thanks for the ping to a good article.