Sibby has already blogged on Dr. Walter Williams' excellent column today entitled "Why we love government." But it's so on-target, I couldn't help but add my commendation of Dr. Williams.
It's what separates the so-called "compassion" of liberals--which means reaching into someone else's pocket to be compassionate to people--as opposed to the compassion that conservatives advocate: reaching into YOUR OWN pocket to be compassionate. Numerous philanthropy studies have shown that conservatives are almost always more generous with charity.
And their charity is usually something more lasting than an impersonal government check; it often involves what "compassion" means: "suffering with." To borrow another parable, it often means teaching someone how to fish, rather than just giving them a fish.
Government handouts just breed more government handouts. Not to mention being unconstitutional (look Article 1 Section 8, or the Tenth Amendment--not to mention numerous statements from the Founders--and tell me where government gets the authority to take from one person and give it to another in the name of charity).
Williams sums it up perfectly:
The bottom line: We love government because it enables us to accomplish things that if done privately would lead to arrest and imprisonment. For example, if I saw a person in need, and I took your money to help him, I'd be arrested and convicted of theft. If I get Congress to do the same thing, I am seen as compassionate.
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