You’re a Victim? Here’s Some Money.
You’re a Victim? Here’s Some Money.
It’s been a tough year for the folks in Maui, in southern California, and in Florida’s Big Bend. Extreme weather and wildfires have made a mess of things - and hurricane season ain’t even over yet.
But sure as the sun rises in the east, there’s one thing you can always count on: after any disaster, natural or otherwise, the smiling politicians will be there for the photo ops, ready to dish out some taxpayer dollars.
President Biden viewed Hurricane Idalia’s destruction from the air and on the ground. I’ve always found it puzzling that government officials must do these in-person, tax-funded tours of disaster areas. What exactly are they going to see that isn’t readily available from news footage and photographs? Nonetheless, the local officials (including Republicans, who I understand like to criticize government largesse) always lavish praise on these Presidential visits. And of course the visits will be followed by a heaping helping of federal aid. Never waste a crisis!
Now let me be perfectly clear about one thing: Sometimes people, through no fault of their own, experience the hand of misfortune. They are suffering - and need help. But - the absolute worst possible course of action is for government to take on the role of caring benefactor.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: these politicians are not dishing out this free money from their own pocket. They are spending OPM (Other People’s Money) and taking all the praise and credit for being generous and compassionate. Cue the sounds of me barfing.
Actually there are two elephants in the room, the other one being that the government already spends way too much money. The federal deficit for 2023 is now expected to be $2 Trillion, with no end in sight. That divides out to $6,666 per year for every man, woman, and child, or over $26k for a family of four (and remember, that’s just the deficit, not total spending). We all pay for this extravagance as inflation sucks the value out of the dollars in our wallets and bank accounts. I guess it’s asking too much for politicians to seek out ways to spend less, not more. Nonetheless, Biden has asked for an additional $4 billion for disaster aid.
The U.S. founding fathers would be aghast that the federal government has assumed this role of sugar-daddy with bottomless pocketfuls of money. You can blame it on that “general welfare” clause in the Preamble to the Constitution. “General welfare”, like “national interest”, can mean anything you want it to mean. Money is no object, so long as it promotes the “general welfare!”
Government policies like this destroy our individual sense of responsibility. Back in an earlier time, people were taught from a young age that what we had was to be shared. We must all work together, voluntarily. Help for those who need it came from friends, family, the community, churches, and yes even the wealthy. Believe it or not, altruism exists, has always existed.
The great thing about private aid, as opposed to government-run aid, is that it puts the donor in charge. However one chooses to contribute - be it through an established charity, or going it alone - the donor can withdraw at any time if the efforts are not producing real results. Now contrast that with our coercive tax system where the main beneficiaries are the politicians, consultants, and an army of 6-digit-income administrators and bureaucrats. The typical attitude then becomes: “I don’t need to help my brother - that’s the government’s job. Anyway, couldn’t help even if I wanted to - the tax man took my money.”
The current system also fosters an ever-growing sense of victimhood and entitlement. Everybody, after all, is a victim of something. It used to be that, if you suffered loss, you’d pick yourself up, wipe off the dust, and get back on that horse. Well, those days are gone. Today, government agents are standing by with open checkbooks, and the “victims” line up at the trough.
Here’s a little parable to illustrate today’s mindset, featuring two fictitious characters I’ll call Bill and Fred:
Bill: I have a problem.
Fred: Well, I have a solution!
Bill: You have a solution?
Fred: You bet!
Bill: But I haven’t even told you what the problem is.
Fred: Doesn’t matter!
Bill: [sigh] Ok, wise guy, what is the solution to my problem?
Fred: Why, the solution to your problem is: Big Government!
If we truly had a responsible government (I know, that’s asking a lot, but just stay with me), then the next time there was a nasty hurricane or earthquake or whatever, government statesmen would say something along these lines:
Folks, as you know, we have a major emergency on our hands, and people are suffering. Therefore, the government is immediately cutting all expenditures by 25%, across the board, no exceptions. Yes, I know, this will be painful, but, it’s an emergency.