,
6 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
Helping the Needy: What’s the Christian Thing to Do? fee.org/articles/helpi… via @feeonline
Of “progressives,” in particular, I ask: If the rich or their riches are inherently bad and the poor are naturally entitled to some portion of their wealth, wouldn’t deputizing do-gooders to get the job done directly be the most just and efficient method?
Is there some virtue in laundering money first through the IRS and other agencies?
The poor are poor for many and varied reasons. Their destitution, whether short-term or long-lasting, may be due to accidental harm, natural calamity, personal handicap, bad life decisions, lousy character, or foolish policies of government.
So giving money to the poor just because they’re poor, without regard to the source of their poverty, could in some cases be wasteful and counterproductive. It could even prolong the problem.
There are far better ways to reduce poverty than plunder, legal or illegal. Free markets, private property, rule of law, entrepreneurship, wealth creation, personal responsibility and voluntary charity—all of which are undermined and even crowded out when force enters the picture
