I just heard a report today from one of our local charitable organizations that, although some types of giving are down, on the whole philanthropy is on the rise.
Now, giving to those less fortunate is, as Martha would say, a very good thing. But I’m becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the notion that this will replace the need for government to take care of it’s citizens.
Our government has moved, by and large, more toward this “ownership society.“ And this is actually a very bad thing. Consider this: Every single corporation is dedicated to the sole purpose of making money for it’s shareholders. If a venture the company invests in does not make money, there has to be a tangible benefit to the corporation that does help it make money.
So helping the poor is not on any corporations radar. It’s also not on the mind of the average American. Americans want people to ”pull themselves up by their bootstraps.“ There are many societal problems with this mentality and I’ll comment on them in the future. But let me say this: If we do not help the poor, eventually the middle class will disappear and the second civil war will be a real possibility.
Now, giving to those less fortunate is, as Martha would say, a very good thing. But I’m becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the notion that this will replace the need for government to take care of it’s citizens.
Our government has moved, by and large, more toward this “ownership society.“ And this is actually a very bad thing. Consider this: Every single corporation is dedicated to the sole purpose of making money for it’s shareholders. If a venture the company invests in does not make money, there has to be a tangible benefit to the corporation that does help it make money.
So helping the poor is not on any corporations radar. It’s also not on the mind of the average American. Americans want people to ”pull themselves up by their bootstraps.“ There are many societal problems with this mentality and I’ll comment on them in the future. But let me say this: If we do not help the poor, eventually the middle class will disappear and the second civil war will be a real possibility.
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