As Lady Thatcher once said:
"Eventually you run out of other people's money." When Obama was
campaigning on taxing the rich making over $250,000 per couple
(they're millionaires you know, despite not earning that million
per year that I thought was required), there were some lawyers in
the blogging world who decided to stop working for the year when
they had earned that amount. Why? They figured that they could
sacrifice the extra income and not give it to the wasteful
government. Due to the fact that your employer deducts it
before you see it, the only way to stop paying is to stop earning.
If I ever reach those lofty heights, that would be a point to
consider.
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 12/31/2011 8:22 AM, [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
-------------------------------------------------------------
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
--
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
--
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
|
