[thechat] The Pianist

Martin Burns martin at easyweb.co.uk
Sun Oct 19 11:14:50 CDT 2003


On Sunday, October 19, 2003, at 12:03  pm, Heironymous Bosch wrote:

> |> and I had Jerome pegged (no pun intended) as so conservative and
> |> straight-laced.
>
> Thank you Erika, you are kindly intended.
>
> However I am not.  I believe people are responsible for themselves.
> Government should only help those who cannot help themselves.
>
> If government gives money away, then everybody will queue up
> to get a handout.  There is no discernment as to who gets it.
>
> Just because Joe is out of work and doesn't feel like taking a
> difficult job, does not mean I should pay his rent and groceries.
> And telly.  And beer.

Oh blimey - I can tell this is going to be a *looooong* thread...

> Stop "re-distributing" wealth, I say.  That is not the job of 
> government.

Perhaps. However, I object where this direction of rhetoric is a cover 
for redistribution of wealth from poor to rich, as it so often is.

The role of government surely is to balance competing interests of 
groups in society in the interests of the nation as a whole. This far 
too often ends up being biased in favour of those who paid the most to 
the current governing group's election campaign.

It's A Good Thing that the US electoral system prevents foreign 
corporations, individuals and governments from donating to presidential 
election campaigns. It would be An Even Better Thing if it also 
prevented its own corporations, government and individuals from doing 
the same to other nations...

Cheers
Martin
--
Now playing on iTunes: "Need You Tonight" by INXS from 'The Very Best 
Of The Tube' - a hit from way back in 1987



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