Does anyone have a "Right" to my money?

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stinkcat_14 said:
jman507 quoting vern (from another thread):

Can we have true social justice if we ignore God? The reason I ask this is because if people work, save and understand economics they will certainly become wealthier. The real problem is how to do this and have people keep in mind that everything that we have comes from God. As I have said many times, in my town we have a 3% poverty rate. However, our spiritual poverty rate is off the map, because 60% of the catholics in our town don’t go to church.
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Thank you, I think you are understanding the proposed concept. You certainly are right, it is still hallow unless it adds a spiritual component, but it does seem to give an answer to the OP. One might be able to help more poor out if they are can teach the ones who are able to use virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice is their matters dealing with money, than if they just give them services. Even for those disabled from taking advantage would then have more resources to help them, because it is not being siphoned off.

If anything in the same vein as trying to help create social justice financially, it is much the same spiritually: teach those lessons, and stress learning those associated virtues.
 
jman507 said:
One might be able to help more poor out if they are can teach the ones who are able to use virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice is their matters dealing with money, than if they just give them services.
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[SIGN]Amen[/SIGN]

Yes, my thoughts exactly. We have a desperate need for people in our society to learn stewardship. That cuts across all income levels.
 
I just rated this thread as excellent. Apparently, from the level of participation, the topic is one that many posters have struggled with. The discussion has been civil and respectful of opinions other than one’s own, for the most part. There is a lot of food for thought here - it’s one of the few long threads in which I’ve read every post. My 2 cents worth - after my family and “old age” needs are thoughtfully,prayerfully considered, I prefer to control where my charitable donations go - I don’t like blanket giving - by which I mean, giving to an umbrella organization that distributes it I know not where. I guess that includes the government - although I certainly render unto Caesar that which he claims. For example - I would rather give to the local food pantry than to a large organization claiming to feed the hungry. I do not mean to imply that my way is THE way .
 
Proletarian said:
Do you have ANY evidence for these claims? Or are these comments simply your own musings?
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Ah, the old “Do you have ANY evidence” ploy.😃

You’re not serious with that question – the very walls know the US has sent trillions overseas since WWII.

But go here: Foreign Press Centers - United States Department of State
And here: qesdb.usaid.gov/gbk
Proletarian said:
Are you intent on denying aid to developing countries, or do you have any practical suggestions…aside from flooding countries already wrought with suffering with munitions?
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Actually, to save them, they need to be flooded with troops – troops to separate warring sides, protect victims and topple dictators.

Now, do you have any alternatives, other than handing money to dictators and warlords?
 
vern_humphrey said:
Ah, the old “Do you have ANY evidence” ploy.😃

You’re not serious with that question – the very walls know the US has sent trillions overseas since WWII.

But go here: Foreign Press Centers - United States Department of State
And here: qesdb.usaid.gov/gbk
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I was referring to your claim that economic aid does nothing but create corruption.
Actually, to save them, they need to be flooded with troops – troops to separate warring sides, protect victims and topple dictators.
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Well it’s worked so far; hows that Iraq thing work’n out for you guys?
 
Proletarian said:
That’s not the way these things work Sir. You made the initial accusation, therefore the onus is upon you.
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My, aren’t we nasty.

How about Cuba, Venezuela, the Congo, Iran, Iraq and points in between.

By the way, how much foreign aid does your country give?😃
 
This digression into international aid is a bit off-thread, but for what it’s worth:
globalenvision.org/library/8/787/
Aiding Poverty in Africa - Giving Until it Hurts
International commitments to increase foreign aid to African nations ignore the causes of poverty in those countries.
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Date Posted on Global Envision: August 25, 2005
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At July’s summit, the G8 nations pledged to double foreign aid to Africa to $50 billion a year and forgave the debts owed by the fourteen poorest nations. While these efforts were made with the best of intentions, it is likely they will do more harm than good. Foreign aid is not enough to pull a nation out of poverty. Instead, reforms must be made to the system that perpetuates poverty.
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There seems to be a widely held belief among rock stars and celebrities that we can “make poverty history” simply by pouring billions of dollars into poor countries. They reason that if the poverty doesn’t go away, it is because more aid is needed. However, the relationship between foreign aid and economic success may be nonexistent
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cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/2871
Overcoming Stagnation in Aid-Dependent Countries
Nicolas van de Walle
03/31/2005
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In this book, Nicolas van de Walle identifies 26 countries that are extremely poor and grew little if at all in the 1990s. His sample excludes North Korea and countries where civil war explains some of their failure to grow (Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tajikistan and others). The 26 countries have limited infrastructure and human capital and the small size of their markets deter private savings and investment. Aid was meant to help overcome these problems, and these countries received a lot. Yet they have failed to grow. What is wrong? Is foreign aid a solution or part of the problem? What changes might make aid more effective? Given these countries require the financial and technical resources of the West, why haven’t aid programs made a difference?
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Van de Walle blames their economic failure mostly on the venality and incompetence of their political leadership. He analyzes the contradictions and tensions faced by the aid community in poorly run countries, providing a sobering analysis of the perverse effects of aid where the politics is all wrong. Too often, resources provided by foreign aid keep the wrong government in office, and undermine adoption of economic as well as political reforms. Bad government combined with aid, in short, hurts poor countries – and particularly the poorest people in those countries. Despite good intentions, little progress has been made in implementing announced “reforms” of the aid business itself. A constituency for reform is lacking, in the donor countries and in the recipient countries, where those in power benefit from the status quo.
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In international aid, as at home, it appears we are doing great damage with all the good will in the world.
 
Vern Humphrey, do not waste time with communists. You seem to be a very generous guy. The only problem with you is that you have a heart too soft to deal effectively with communists
 
John_Mailer said:
Vern Humphrey, do not waste time with communists. You seem to be a very generous guy. The only problem with you is that you have a heart too soft to deal effectively with communists
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I fought communists up close and personal in Viet Nam. I was even in a little shooting scrape with then in Korea in '81.

And I know Communists are committed beyond all reason – read Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer – but there are others brousing these threads who may find the debate illuminating.
 
vern_humphrey said:
And I know Communists are committed beyond all reason – read Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer – but there are others brousing these threads who may find the debate illuminating.
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I am afraid that book’s thesis could be applied to us, catholics,too.😃
 
John_Mailer said:
I agree with this.
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The essential theme of Hoffer’s work is that the “true believer” seeks the cause, not the other way 'round. The fanatic needs a cause – and can be turned 180 degrees, to become a fanatic on the opposite side.

Christ, on the other hand, sought out and developed His Apostles. Until they met Him, they were ordinary men, content with their roles in life.
 
John_Mailer said:
Catholics are looking for the soul’s salvation of the rest the world. The rest of the world has never asked for it.
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And therein lies the difference. Catholics are looking for something specific, salvation. Fanatics are looking for anything – so long as they can commit themselves to it.
 
vern_humphrey said:
And therein lies the difference. Catholics are looking for something specific, salvation. Fanatics are looking for anything – so long as they can commit themselves to it.
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Fanatics are looking for vengeance,or “wild justice”,as Francis Bacon would put it.
 
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