"The problem is the "I've got mine and screw everyone else" effect"
This effect may well be the prime cause of human missery. The point seems to be: To what extent are we part of the problem, to what extent part of the solution. I wish you a healthy and creative 2012. Walther Micke On 31 dec 2011, 14:22, [email protected] wrote: > There is only so much even the most well endowed religious charity can > accomplish. > Basically they can help a small class of people extensively, like unwed > mothers > or orphans, but when it comes to large classes of people, like the > unemployed > in times of economic crisis, all that really is possible are food boxes > and maybe spare clothing or bus fare. > > The problem is the "I've got mine and screw everyone else" effect which > self-reliance theories promote even as they also promote self reliance. > This effect works directly against religious values and if the > self-reliance > philosophy is strong enough it over-rides religion. > > The problem is made worse when many people ( not a majority, but too many ) > take advantage of the system and won't work even when they can, or like > some > women, have babies as a source of welfare income --which everyone else > pays for. The Left is generous with the money of the working class, > the Right is unable to comprehend that its bromides for dealing > with large scale social needs are ridiculously inadequate. > > This is the dilemma. > > Billy > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > 12/31/2011 2:00:24 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > > P.S. The actual development of catholic charities make a topical > question of the relationship between private and government charity > programs. > > On 31 dec, 09:38, cornucopianow <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Hello David, > > > Just like you I would prefer charity by private organisations. > > Of course the charities do a good job. But the position of the > > churches in the 1800's was another one as it is today as well was > > that of the goverment. Or would you prefer to return to the 1800's? > > Nowadays the churches may not be ale to embetter the situation of the > > poor as much as would be desirable and in my opinion there is a task > > for the government here also. But I realize that the postion of the > > churches in the Netherlands may be another on than that in the United > > States. > > > Have a nice day, > > > Walther > > > On 28 dec, 21:29, "David R. Block" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hello Walther, > > > > Good to have a name other than Mr or Ms Anonymous. :-) > > > > Communism lite refers to what it sounded like to me. I can always > change > > > my mind. > > > > The quote from Von Hayek appears on all of my e-mail, until I decide to > > > change it. Other alternatives are available from Neal Boortz, Gerald > > > Ford, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Barry Goldwater, Robert A. > > > Heinlein, Thomas Jefferson, P. J. O'Rourke, Ronald Reagan, Ringo Starr, > > > Mark Twain, and Will Rogers. And von Hayek's family moved to the US > > > because of the Nazis, not the Communists, although "escaping Tyranny" > > > would fit either one. > > > > They are for entertainment purposes, mostly. Although one is slipping > in > > > here below because it seems appropriate. > > > > More below. > > > > David > > > > “A society that does not recognize that each individual has values of > > > his own which he is entitled to follow can have no respect for the > > > dignity of the individual and cannot really know freedom.--Fredrich > > > August von Hayek* > > > > On 12/28/2011 9:09 AM, cornucopianow wrote: > > > > > Dear Mr. Block, > > > > > "Communism lite" refers to a non-existent society. It is certainly > not > > > > a society which the Civil Manifesto advocates. > > > > > The quote of von Hayek presumably refers to Soviet Russia. It does > > > > not apply to a society based on the Civil Manifesto > > > > > - "Their existence is not my responsibility". Mr. Block would you > like > > > > to live on a society in which thousands of children have no > > > > satistactory food as is the case in the Netherlands and certainly is > > > > the case in Great Britain? I would rather not. > > > > DRB: I give to my church for a food program for the homeless. It may > not > > > (definitely not) make it to the UK or The Netherlands, but surely > > > someone in the UK or The Netherlands can give to their local charities. > > > No? I don't think that the government needs to be operating charities. > > > This used to be done by churches in the 1800s, and i don't really > > > consider it "progress" to move it to the government. Doing that runs > > > square into a problem noted by P. J. O'Rourke: > > > > "There is no virtue in compulsory government charity, and there is no > > > virtue in advocating it. A politician who portrays himself as "caring" > > > and "sensitive" because he wants to expand the government's charitable > > > programs is merely saying that he's willing to try to do good with > other > > > people's money. Well, who isn't? And a voter who takes pride in > > > supporting such programs is telling us that he'll do good with his own > > > money -- if a gun is held to his head."*--P. J. O'Rourke* > > > > DRB: Charity, under pain of IRS Audit, really isn't that charitable. > > > > > -The idea is not a mandatory retirement but to guarantee a decent > > > > period of retirement for everybody. Of course many people ccan > deliver > > > > their contributions until old age. > > > > > -Unemployment should be as short as possible. The employment benefits > > > > should not hinder returning to the workforce. > > > > > -I have to study the savings and loan debacle to see what actually > > > > happened. Meant is a maximum mortgage of 400.000 dollars. > > > > DRB: There was a lot of non-existent property on the books of many > > > Savings and Loans. Undeveloped developments (Clinton's Whitewater) > were > > > carried on the books as having been developed, bogus oil rigs were on > > > the books in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas, and general shenanigans > > > prevailed pretty much nationwide. $400,000 is a fantastic amount for a > > > mortgage in Dallas, TX, but kind of low for Hollywood. > > > > > -I think that affordable health care for everybody is possible > without > > > > a giant government department. > > > > DRB: I think that a giant government department is what we are going to > > > wind up with. And with the corruption evidenced by the US government at > > > this time, that's not a good thing. > > > > > -I am very sorry for your daughter. It must be a very demotivating > > > > experience for her. It would take more space to analyse the situation > > > > in which this happens. The factors which are responsible for this > > > > outcome should be removed. > > > > DRB: That would be "advisers" at the Universities that she attended, > who > > > obviously have some bias towards encouraging continued enrollment-even > > > if the student cannot afford it-THEY need the money, coupled with an > > > economy in the dumper. Kind of hard to remove that last factor. I'm > not > > > exactly in favor of encouraging a college degree just for the sake of > > > encouraging a college degree. Same thing with a Master's degree, which > > > is where the debt was incurred. Somebody is really "dumbing down" the > > > bachelor's degrees if everything requires a Master's. > > > > > -The exploration of mineral energy seems to have a lot of > > > > disadvantages. The fostering of green energy is a good idea. > > > > -You are welcome! The idea of the Civil Manifesto is not to specify > > > > the diet of whoever may be. The idea is that shifting the balance > from > > > > meat to plant is advantageous for the wellbeing of society. > > > > DRB: As long as they are not about to go bankrupt (Solyndra), I would > > > like to support it. Sadly, most of the green initiatives that the > > > current administration has chosen to promote seem to be chosen based > > > more upon their campaign contributions than their financial stability > or > > > even the marketability of their products and ideas. > > > > > Thank you for your comments. You are the first one who reacts to the > > > > Civil Manifesto. I whish your daughter may soon find an occupation > > > > which matches her education. > > > > DRB: Well, I would hope so, too. > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > > Walther Micke- Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht niet weergeven - > > > > - Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht weergeven -- Tekst uit > > oorspronkelijk bericht niet weergeven - > > > > > - Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht weergeven - > > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog:http://RadicalCentrism.org- Tekst uit > oorspronkelijk bericht niet weergeven - > > - Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht weergeven - -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
