Off-Topic: We don't "owe" them

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	Name:	MartiniMan -
	Subject:	We don't "owe" them
	Date:	12/5/2009 10:06:06 AM

Hound, it may be that as an act of charity or out of a sense of mutual obligation that we choose to help those impacted by natural disasters but I don't "owe" them anymore than they would owe me if my house were destroyed by a tornado. That is why I have insurance because I take personal responsibility for my own life and take reasonable, financially sound measures to protect myself.

I think the major problem I have with government enforced (i.e., at the point of a gun) charity of this type is that it promotes poor decisions because people come to believe that they will not be held responsible for their decisions and will always be bailed out. We need to strike a balance between proper and appropriate use of the people's money to alleviate suffering from a natural disaster and promoting foolish behavior.

And of course, no one wants to see them left to die but at the same time how, by always bailing them out from their stupid decisions, do we promote rational decision making? I don't know the answer to this one as I recognize that a certain percentage of the population will always make bad decisions. I do think that what we learned from welfare reform was that a greater number of people will, if forced, make better personal decisions if they don't have any other alternatives (i.e., government bailing them out).