Some conservatives may be too rosy in their predictions about what private charity can achieve, but what liberals like the author fail to address is that WE ARE BROKE! All that government “help” is on borrowed money.
I am committed to the belief that government charity (welfare state) contributes to the degradation of society. What little benefit it may achieve in supplementing private charity, it loses by allowing people to live anonymous and immoral lives. When charity was handled by churches, people were more interested in community, and when you are involved in community, you are more apt to be watchful of your behavior.
If you think private charity isn’t able to achieve much, I’m afraid you don’t really know the extent to which churches, fraternal organizations, social clubs and other community groups go to helping others. Government has no business being in the charity business. To the extent they pass laws, it should be to encourage private charity. Thinking that government charity adds anything postive to our society is false. It is one of the reasons our society has degraded.