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Giving

In a recent news report, Americans donated another record.  $306 BILLION was given to charity in 2007.  Nice, huh?  That is a record.  Here are some notes of interest:

– Over half ($229 billion) was given by individuals earning in the top 10% of U.S. Incomes.  The very same top 10% that Liberals want to tax to death.  The very same top 10% that is portrayed as evil by the media.

– Over $15 billion from corporations.  The same corporations that are ripped apart for being greedy.  The same corporations that people like Obama want to throw a “windfall profit” tax on.

I say all this to show, yet again, why Govco needs to stop taking money from us, by force, and giving it to others.  Quite frankly, I’m sick of it.  Our Constitution does not allow for it yet, thanks to folks like LBJ, we now have legalized theft by our own Govco.  People like Mark Elrod, Larry James, Obama and other Liberals are all for this kind of theft even though time and time again it is shown that charity operates much better when done privately.  The noted economist Walter Williams says it well in this quote:

“Charity is reaching into one’s own pockets to assist his fellow man in need. Reaching into someone else’s pocket to assist one’s fellow man hardly qualifies as charity. When done privately, we deem it theft, and the individual risks jail time.”

Once again, we call for a moratorium on Govco forcing us to give.

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This entry was posted on June 23, 2008 at 10:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “Giving”

  1. Jonathan Says:
    June 25, 2008 at 9:01 pm | Reply

    I realize that you’re making a point about taxes (that the gov should take less) and not necessarily about what good givers we are…

    …but before we pat ourselves on the back too hard about our giving I think we should recognize that we’re near the bottom of industrialized nations in terms of foreign aid as a fraction of GNP and that only an estimated 10 % of our charitable giving is actually directed to the poor.

    http://tinyurl.com/5kxvjh

    http://tinyurl.com/68te9q

  2. Roland Says:
    June 26, 2008 at 10:09 am | Reply

    Are you talking about what Govco gives in foreign aid or what private companies do?

    I wonder if we would give even more if we were taxed less. Hmmmmmmm.

  3. Roland Says:
    June 26, 2008 at 10:09 am | Reply

    BTW, welcome and thanks for posting Jonathan.

  4. Jonathan Says:
    June 26, 2008 at 12:16 pm | Reply

    Both. The comment about foreign aid as a fraction of GNP related to official development assistance, country to country. The comment that only 10 % of “charitable donations” go to the poor is about the giving of private citizens.

    This year’s charitable donations are expected to total more than $200 billion, a record. But a big portion of this impressive sum — especially from the wealthy, who have the most to donate — is going to culture palaces: to the operas, art museums, symphonies and theaters where the wealthy spend much of their leisure time. It’s also being donated to the universities they attended and expect their children to attend, perhaps with the added inducement of knowing that these schools often practice a kind of affirmative action for “legacies.” I’m all in favor of supporting the arts and our universities, but let’s face it: These aren’t really charitable contributions.

  5. Roland Says:
    June 26, 2008 at 12:31 pm | Reply

    I see your point however I would rather see the “arts” supported by private business than Govco. I know that is kinda off point but, hey..it’s my blog. 🙂

    Fact is, it’s still charity. Also, when “giving to the poor” is mentioned, what exactly does that mean? How is “poor” defined? Is giving to the United Way classed as giving to the poor? There is still a lot of gray out there.

    I think a great example of what I am getting at is the Tsunami. Americans gave much more that the U.S. Government. The private donations also went much further than Govco donations due to less red tape and less overhead.

    My main point is that private giving ALWAYS works better then forced Govco giving. Whenever you are forced to give, you will have less heart in it, you will actually give less.

  6. Larry James Says:
    June 28, 2008 at 5:33 pm | Reply

    Yes, and those gifts include all given to arts, private education, etc. We’ve spent three times that amount in Iraq–very conservative estimate. The social and public policy of a democratic nation such as ours can be shaped however we decide. Libertarian solutions never lead to the building of strong or healthy community.

  7. Roland Says:
    June 28, 2008 at 8:59 pm | Reply

    And Liberal solutions lead to a weaker defense. Libertarian and Conservative (true conservative) solutions lead to LESS Govco, not more.

    Yes, Larry, we have spent a lot in Iraq and Afganistan but, if you will notice, we have also not been attacked since 9/11 on U.S. soil. I will step out there with this prediction, whoever is President next, if they pull us out of Iraq, we will be attacked within 4 years of the pullout.

    I didn’t figure you for a bully Larry. That is, that you approve of charity by gunpoint and coercion.

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