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.
Couldn't agree more.
Any aid from America should come from private donations only.
In the real world, however, our earnings and those of the next generations that will be confiscated and redistributed.
It's the bush mandate.
It is wrong to give money to foreign nations, especially when we do not have enough cash to even fund the F-22.
Enough with the F/22 already. It will be built and deployed, it'll just take some politicking and the numbers won't be what you or I would like. Meanwhile the money we've pledged to the tsunami relief wouldn't buy ONE F/22.
It's called Article 3, Section 8.
The FedGov has only those power expressly delegated to it. All other powers are reserved to the States, or to the People.
Giving taxpayer money to foreign governments is not a delegated power.
L
I trust that you'll be as sanguine when YOUR nickle gets taken for some non-constitutional purpose that you don't care for?
Additionally, I'm not at all sure that your assertion that more than 50% of the American people particularly care about the poorer foreigners you mention. I suspect we have a vocal minority howling for aid, with the great majority rolling their eyes skyward and wondering how much this latest waste of money will cost them.
Perhaps we could add a line to IRS form 1040, wherein people could choose to add to their tax bill for such nonsense. The total take would probably be well under six figures...including the pennies, of course.
He didn't mean the G should do it at the point of a GUN!!!
I will never, ever give one penny to any charity. You know why? Because the U.S. government forces me to give to charity anyway.
What an ass. How much do you pay in taxes anyway, Bill Gates? I'm sure you're personally paying for a Nimitz class carrier or two
The people or the states expressly delegate that authority to the federal government. No?
I read this to be about individuals, not the government. Please correct me if I am wrong.
"Now it's a just a phase that immature and selfish adolescents hopefully transcend"
What a snob.
Have you read the whole thread? Most Americans would choose to give, but NOT ONE American has the RIGHT to give what is not their's. You can't give my money away, only your own.
Who in the world gave you the misguided impression that it is "your" money? Is your picture on any of those pieces of paper?
If you want to have your money, get in the underground economy. Yes, I have read the whole thread, and there are some in here that make this look more like stormfront or national alliance than FR
'"When you failed to do it for the least of these here brethren of mine..you failed to do it for me"
Could you please give the Scripture's Chapter and verse?????'
Since you haven't gotten your answer yet, I'll provide it!
You can find that in Matthew Chapter 25, verse 45.
It would be a good idea to read the entire context of what Jesus was saying. It starts in Matthew Chapter 25 at verse 31 and ends at verse 46.
Hope this helps you out.
I do think Jesus was speaking on an individual basis, but possibly it could be extended to apply to groups (countries too?) also. But we would need His wisdom to know for sure about this.
"It stilll wouldn't be their money"
You want to argue the ownership of that money go ahead, but you have no claim to it. It's not yours and never was
Semantics. If I lease a car, make all my payments and otherwise abide by all laws and regulations and the leasing company takes the car in the middle of the night so they can lease it to someone else, it's still stealing.
This clearly illustrates the difference between Libertarians and "Conservatives"...
I'm glad I am a CONSERVATIVE....(wink)
bookmark
No. Do you always criticize those that are more generous and caring than you are?
The powers of the federal government were specified...1,2,3. They were not given broad powers beyond those specified because the founding fathers knew that a large fed would be bad. They gave all of the powers to the states and set up specific powers for the fed. The fed has abused the general welfare clause to include things which were not originally intended. The Bill of Rights specifies as follows:
Amendment X of the Bill of Rights
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
You just used the "Nazi" accusation and therefore lose the argument!
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.
So, when does the evacuation of Florida begin? Can't move them to Tornado Alley in the midwest, or Shakeyland, California..then there's the volcanoes in Washington state..maybe everyone should move to Montana!
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