Comments on: Love doesn't scale. http://ksmith.in/inmediasres/2009/05/05/love-doesnt-scale/ in the midst of things Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:55:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Kevin Smith http://ksmith.in/inmediasres/2009/05/05/love-doesnt-scale/#comment-1182 Kevin Smith Tue, 05 May 2009 15:59:08 +0000 http://superkev.net/?p=2037#comment-1182 @<a href="#comment-335" rel="nofollow">David Strunk</a>: But of course. And I think you'll find that giving from the heart is at remarkable lows in countries where the tax rate is increasingly raised. One might even posit that the relationship between the two in inversely proportional, though I haven't done the research. What IF our Government didn't take so much of our money? Imagine what could be done, on a local level, when givers take the time to KNOW where their money is going. Certainly our churches and non-profits could do a better job of fostering a culture where giving is highly important, but the American people are already the most giving givers in the world per capita. This argument that we need to leverage the mighty resources of the Federal Government in order to provide for those who cannot provide for themselves (which is a group of drastically different magnitude depending on who you ask) is based on a whole slew of false premises. One of the biggest, I would say, is that it's possible for the Government to be charitable on our behalf. At the very least, this ignores our politicians' desire for re-election. @David Strunk: But of course. And I think you’ll find that giving from the heart is at remarkable lows in countries where the tax rate is increasingly raised. One might even posit that the relationship between the two in inversely proportional, though I haven’t done the research.

What IF our Government didn’t take so much of our money? Imagine what could be done, on a local level, when givers take the time to KNOW where their money is going. Certainly our churches and non-profits could do a better job of fostering a culture where giving is highly important, but the American people are already the most giving givers in the world per capita.

This argument that we need to leverage the mighty resources of the Federal Government in order to provide for those who cannot provide for themselves (which is a group of drastically different magnitude depending on who you ask) is based on a whole slew of false premises. One of the biggest, I would say, is that it’s possible for the Government to be charitable on our behalf. At the very least, this ignores our politicians’ desire for re-election.

]]> By: David Strunk http://ksmith.in/inmediasres/2009/05/05/love-doesnt-scale/#comment-1181 David Strunk Tue, 05 May 2009 14:55:20 +0000 http://superkev.net/?p=2037#comment-1181 Right on Kev, The government cannot love, but it really cannot dispense justice either (it can as it comes to keeping the peace but not in terms of "social justice"). The reason the government cannot truly be socially just is that it operates out of coercion. An entity that forces others to give money so that it can give to other things is not a loving organization like a church or non-profit is. Taxes are coercion. The government coerces us to give money (if we don't we go to jail), coerces us into giving the right amount, and tells us that is knows how to dispense love and justice more appropriately than we do. Neither love or justice scale. But that's the argument I hear: "Well the government has so many more resources than do non-profits or churches so it should do these things." Hmmmm, but what if the government didn't coerce everyone into giving it all the resources? Dave Right on Kev,
The government cannot love, but it really cannot dispense justice either (it can as it comes to keeping the peace but not in terms of “social justice”). The reason the government cannot truly be socially just is that it operates out of coercion. An entity that forces others to give money so that it can give to other things is not a loving organization like a church or non-profit is. Taxes are coercion. The government coerces us to give money (if we don’t we go to jail), coerces us into giving the right amount, and tells us that is knows how to dispense love and justice more appropriately than we do.

Neither love or justice scale. But that’s the argument I hear: “Well the government has so many more resources than do non-profits or churches so it should do these things.” Hmmmm, but what if the government didn’t coerce everyone into giving it all the resources?

Dave

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