02-09-2006, 06:27 PM | #21 | |
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In a Democracy, the will of the people represents the direction of the government. For us, our individual perceptions very much influence the ability of the nation to act altruistically. Christ counseled that we should treat others in a certain way. Fortunately, many Americans understand that message and work to pool our collective resources for the benefit of others. What I can't understand is why a person with as much knowledge about the gospel like yourself would then try to stand in the way of that process. Your anger, it appears, stems not from what the nation is doing as a whole but from the fact that your personal taxes are being spent in faraway lands. As an INDIVIDUAL who has been counseled to assist others, wouldn't the use of your tax money to cure Africans of AIDS be something you would be proud of? |
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02-09-2006, 06:44 PM | #22 | ||
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First, the politicians who work under the guise of altruism are much more cynical than I. So if they cloak their works as altruistic, you can bet there is something afoot, such as under the table contracts with the pharmaceuticals "researching" cures. Second, we should not act that way, because it won't work. All politics are local. It is not possible to act as a nation state. A nation state is not just a collection of people, it's rules, regulations, bureaucracies, policies, industries, cultures and much, much more. If you could see the calculus of how the intermingling efforts cascade off everybody, you'd understand, it's incomprehensible. Third, it's in the interests of nation states not to act detrimentally toward others, but to assist nation states, poorly run who won't follow our advice renders the problems unfixable. What is undoable shouldn't be attempted. It's too impractical and a waste of time and effort. We should be much more pragmatic and fiduciarily responsible to the taxpayers. There should be a return on the tax investment. Indivdually I should help others, but my nation has no duty to reach beyond our borders, and if it does, it should have achievable goals or objectives. We shouldn't have the sieve approach. AIDS research is basically a sieve approach. Put money after money and ignore all other worthy causes. It's a losing battle that will never be won.
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02-09-2006, 07:01 PM | #23 | |
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If you want a return on your tax dollars for AIDS research, I suggest you board a plane and view the face of a person whose life has been improved because of AIDS drugs available in large part because of US funding for research. Your assertion that AIDS is a losing battle that will never be won ignores the tremendous gains that have already been made in combating AIDS and a bright hope for the future. Hope- a word you must hate. An emotion that you have tried to purge along with other emotions such as passion, caring, concern, love, fear, anguish. Seperating emotion from your work may be a necessary evil, but be cautious: seperating emotion from life is simply evil. |
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02-09-2006, 07:08 PM | #24 | |
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02-09-2006, 07:11 PM | #25 | ||
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02-09-2006, 07:16 PM | #26 | ||
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Your call to us as individuals to assist others is compelling in that as Christians we should be engaged in such endeavors. However, how does that translate in using our tax dollars to do so? This is a typical ploy used by the left. If a group of people want to get together and push for funding a cause, then more power to them. I suggest you start with the deep pockets of Ed Asner, Barbara Streisand, Martin Sheen, and Rob Reiner (although I really like Reiner). As well off and blessed as they are, they spend an inordinant amount of time and effort trying to guide tax dollars to their pet projects and interests. Those four alone could dedicate significant seed money and a bully pulpit to an effort to educate Africans on AIDS prevention. I would think Hollywood would happily get behind this.
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Give 'em Hell, Cougars!!! Religion rises inevitably from our apprehension of our own death. To give meaning to meaninglessness is the endless quest of all religion. When death becomes the center of our consciousness, then religion authentically begins. Of all religions that I know, the one that most vehemently and persuasively defies and denies the reality of death is the original Mormonism of the Prophet, Seer and Revelator, Joseph Smith. |
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02-09-2006, 07:37 PM | #27 | |
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If you look at per capita foreign aid among "wealthy countries", the U.S. isn't dead last, but pretty close. Check this out: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0930884.html We fare better in private giving, but are still way behind the Norwegians. There is one area where we completely dominate: defense spending. We spend more than the rest of the world combined. Woohoo! |
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02-09-2006, 07:46 PM | #28 | |
Charon
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No one is proposing to base an entire foreign policy on altruism. But to imply that everything we do as a nation should be based on self-interest alone is just wrong. It's a darn good thing the US government did not have this attitude following WW2. Thankfully, I think most folks believe otherwise. Including GWB: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in705486.shtml |
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02-09-2006, 08:09 PM | #29 | ||
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If nations can't find the will to be altruistic, they should be generous anyways knowing it will come back to be of benefit in the future. |
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02-09-2006, 08:26 PM | #30 |
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hoya and homeboy are gloriously naive about why and how many nations act "altruistically".
Japan frequently acts altruistically by ensuring certain moneys are donated to purchase certain goods from Japanese suppliers. I'm certain if I examined the donations of all countries, in all but emergency situations, that the same would be true. Furthermore, excpet through certain private gifting channels, much of the money aimed at helpling the helpless often just end up in the hands of a despot, especially in Africa, which has some of the worst governmental systems known to humanity.
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