The Deserving Poor
Charity never faileth. That's what the Good Book says. Perhaps it's true, but perhaps it must be qualified. Back in the colonial and post revolutionary years, there was a phrase: "Deserving Poor". There were people who were deserving of help from those who could help, and there were those that weren't.
Here's why: When charity is truly needed and truly given in the spirit of love and service, it elevates us. It makes us what we can and ought to be. It separates us from the animals and contradicts Darwin. Those that have done what they can but have fallen short (the deserving poor) are helped by those that are able.
The other category is the Undeserving Poor. The person that is not doing what he can to earn his own way in the world. This person doesn't invest time or treasure in objectives that will bring increase. This is the ne'er-do-well, the slacker, the vagrant, the addict, the drunk, the able but lazy burden of the state. To this person, the handout is not a gift, and it is not help. It is a link in a chain of slavery. It prohibits the victim from ever becoming free. It allows the person to hide from responsibility and continue in the behaviors of failure. It also keeps whatever capabilities, virtues and genius (and we all have them) hidden away. It denies that person self-actualization and esteem. Assistance to the undeserving is damnation.
Try not to simultaneously become a victim and a victimizer. Sometimes the need for a paycheck is second to the need for a good hard day of work. Give to charities that have low overhead and staff costs. Make sure your charity goes to people that truly need it. Try not to hurt anyone with it.
Over the course of time I've addressed "The Deserving Poor" on a number of occassions. And I've explained my economic reasons for discriminating between the deserving poor and the undeserving.
The link above will get you a copy of Ayn Rand's masterwork "Atlas Shrugged".
If you read it and endeavor to understand it, you'll understand the import of human dignity and the destructive nature of indiscriminate charity.
Trust me on this. Read the book!
Here's why: When charity is truly needed and truly given in the spirit of love and service, it elevates us. It makes us what we can and ought to be. It separates us from the animals and contradicts Darwin. Those that have done what they can but have fallen short (the deserving poor) are helped by those that are able.
The other category is the Undeserving Poor. The person that is not doing what he can to earn his own way in the world. This person doesn't invest time or treasure in objectives that will bring increase. This is the ne'er-do-well, the slacker, the vagrant, the addict, the drunk, the able but lazy burden of the state. To this person, the handout is not a gift, and it is not help. It is a link in a chain of slavery. It prohibits the victim from ever becoming free. It allows the person to hide from responsibility and continue in the behaviors of failure. It also keeps whatever capabilities, virtues and genius (and we all have them) hidden away. It denies that person self-actualization and esteem. Assistance to the undeserving is damnation.
Try not to simultaneously become a victim and a victimizer. Sometimes the need for a paycheck is second to the need for a good hard day of work. Give to charities that have low overhead and staff costs. Make sure your charity goes to people that truly need it. Try not to hurt anyone with it.
Over the course of time I've addressed "The Deserving Poor" on a number of occassions. And I've explained my economic reasons for discriminating between the deserving poor and the undeserving.
The link above will get you a copy of Ayn Rand's masterwork "Atlas Shrugged".
If you read it and endeavor to understand it, you'll understand the import of human dignity and the destructive nature of indiscriminate charity.
Trust me on this. Read the book!
posted by ironcross11 | 11:43 PM
2 Comments:
And what were you for 20 years on the government dole? What did you really accomplish except eat up my tax dollars? Did you defeat the communists? Hell no, now they are our biggest tradingin partners, and YES, they are still Communists.
If I get your drift... a lazy ne'er-do-well is virtuous, but a trained warrior is just a parasite. Yup that's why the Donks aren't trusted to run the country anymore.
Anyone with two brain cells already knows the value of a warrior.
I kept madmen and dictators at bay to provide an environment defined by rule of law and sanctity of contract that allows for development of resources and the production of goods.
Throughout history the difference between a prosperous nation-state and a conquered nation-state was the condition of it's defense in relation to the threat.
And don't try to run that crap about the virtuous neutrality of Sweden, Austria and Switzerland. They prospered from the NATO defense as much as anyone in NATO.
As long as you hold something of value, the only thing that allows you to keep it is the system that defends against those that would take it from you. That's why you lock your car and house when you leave them. That's why you call the police when you get ripped off. A system of protections. I'm part of that system.
If you don't believe a system of internal and external protections is important move to Zimbabwe for a year and then come back and tell me what you learned.
But keep posting, there's no sport like laughing at the clueless.
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