Freedom Versus…
by Mr. Ogre on Jan 5, 2011 at 13:50 Political
Situation:
Mr. X wants to help some people. He decides he’d like to provide them with food. He is specifically targeting homeless people in the local downtown area. He believes that these homeless that he sees need food, and he wants to meet that need. Mr. X starts up his kitchen and invites the homeless in. The homeless show up and start eating. The same homeless people come day after day and eat the food Mr. X provides. Mr. X is happy because he feels he is helping people. The homeless people are happy because they’re getting food.
After about a month, Mr. X decides that he wants to feed these people full-time. He’s going to need more money to do it, but he doesn’t have the money…
In a Free Country:
Mr. X comes to me and asks me, personally, for help. He explains his need and how he is helping people. I explain that I can appreciate his need, but I disagree with his methods. I say that I believe by providing and endless supply of food for the same homeless people over and over again that he is, instead, actually supporting them and encouraging them. After all, they don’t need to change their lives if he will provide them with food. Instead, I suggest to Mr. X that if he includes a program with job training, skills training, or placing other requirements on the free food, that I would be willing to donate some of my own time and money.
At this point, Mr. X has the option of accepting my terms and conditions, or looking elsewhere for support for his ideas. He may find others that agree with him and he continues to provide the free food. He is happy, the others are happy, the homeless are happy, and I am happy. He may not find enough others and instead agree to my conditions, and we find others who also agree. Then he is happy, the others are happy, the homeless are happy, and I am happy.
In America:
Mr. X decides he wants to feed the homeless. He sends men with guns to my house to force me to pay for the feedings. I object, and he threatens to send me to jail if I do not pay for the homeless meals. I ask why he needs me to pay for the meals, and he explains that it’s my civic duty and that it would be anarchy if I don’t pay. I ask Mr. X why he isn’t paying for the meals, and he explains that it is only civilized if I pay for the homeless meals and pay Mr. X’s salary while he is feeding them because I can afford it. He again threatens to throw me in jail if I do not pay him. He sends more men with guns to steal my property if I do not comply. More homeless show up for the free, unconditional meals, so Mr. X sends another bill to me for more money, telling me that since I have money and the homeless do not, it is my obligation to pay. I refuse to pay because I do not agree with the process, so Mr. X sends men with guns to kill me for disobeying. Mr. X is unhappy because he has a job that he does not like, but he has to pay his bills. Other people are unhappy because they have to pay high taxes they do not like. The homeless are not happy because they are not getting steak with every meal that they feel they deserve. I am dead.
I only wish this were an exaggeration. Sadly, it is not. Worse, the majority of people in America today support everything that is happening. And a wide majority completely would support my death in the situation above.
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Tags: charity, coercion, freedom, government rules
Welcome to liberal utopia, where life is like cancer, eating away at the host until the host dies.