Below is a great insight into some of our nation's problems as given by Walter E. Williams, George Mason University economics professor. He makes a valuable point in regard to what is or isn't morally right. Don't be fooled by the politically-blurred lines of "equal" and "moral."
"Most of our nation's great problems, including our economic problems, have as their root decaying moral values. Whether we have the stomach to own up to it or not, we have become an immoral people left with little more than the pretense of morality. ... Do you believe that it is moral and just for one person to be forcibly used to serve the purposes of another? And, if that person does not peaceably submit to being so used, do you believe that there should be the initiation of some kind of force against him? Neither question is complex and can be answered by either a yes or no. For me the answer is no to both questions but I bet that your average college professor, politician or minister would not give a simple yes or no response. They would be evasive and probably say that it all depends. ...[That] is because they are sly enough to know that either answer would be troublesome for their agenda. A yes answer would put them firmly in the position of supporting some of mankind's most horrible injustices such as slavery. After all, what is slavery but the forcible use of one person to serve the purposes of another? A no answer would put them on the spot as well because that would mean they would have to come out against taking the earnings of one American to give to another in the forms of farm and business handouts, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and thousands of similar programs that account for more than two-thirds of the federal budget. There is neither moral justification nor constitutional authority for what amounts to legalized theft. This is not an argument against paying taxes. We all have a moral obligation to pay our share of the constitutionally mandated and enumerated functions of the federal government. ...[But] now that the U.S. Congress has established the principle that one American has a right to live at the expense of another American, it no longer pays to be moral." --George Mason University economics professor Walter E. Williams
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the reality of this makes me want to puke, and maybe this should make me more offended, but this has been going on for a long time, right? i mean, the fed has given foriegn aid for a century, and we've had welfare since FDR. didn't we decide it's imperative for the survival of our nation that we do these kinds of things?
ReplyDeleteon some level we've got to help people that can't help themselves. the state forcing that assistance is where this is wrong to me.
This has certainly been going on for a long time; I think that is the point here. The longer it goes on, the lesser the public awareness. When will it stop, then? When we are totally broke due to providing for everyone? I don't know if I would say we decided, but someone did at some point. Then, through history, even when one or another of these things has clearly run its course and is corrupted and ineffective, there has been no way to remove them. Why is that? Do we as a nation have something to feel guilty about? I don't think so. Is it necessary for our survival, as you said, to provide aid in Africa, or any of the hundreds of other places we do? No.
ReplyDeleteOn your second point, I totally agree. We should, no, we are obligated to help those that are in need. That is a moral obligation, and from my perspective a Christian obligation. But, as you said, our government determining when, where, and how much we should help people is wrong. In all things, arguably excluding military and judicial processes, the public citizenry is where the burden should lie to help others. Individuals don't have constituency to please. They have needs to fill. Individuals don't have blank checks of other people's money to use or money taken according to how much you have. They have money or gifts donated according to how much your heart tells you to give.
i guess the bottom line is we need to figure out a way to get the government out of the business of financially aiding individuals with our citizen's money. the line gets blurry when "serving the needs of the nation" meets "serving the needs of the individual within the nation". possibly because it's construed as crucial for social health.
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