Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cmu-cs-cad.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!wjh12!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!cmu-cs-pt!cmu-cs-cad!mjc
From: mjc@cmu-cs-cad.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: How about helping our own
Message-ID: <210@cmu-cs-cad.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 18:07:08 EST
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-c.210
Posted: Tue Dec 18 18:07:08 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Dec-84 01:14:13 EST
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 33

From: ashby@uiucdcsp.UUCP ?
>What a warm message of Christmas cheer rfs@loral has brought us:
>Screw the rest of the world, American lives are more important.
>
>Sure we have street people and struggling farmers, but I 
>don't think their plight comes anywhere near that of the
>starving Ethiopians.  So why don't we just help our fellow
>human beings, and ask their nationality later.
>

But look at it this way: if a country is to last long, its government must do
everything in terms of cost/benefit.  Now, it we help our own we get lots
more taxpayers, but if we only help outsiders we get nothing in return and
expend a lot of resources.   [:-), sort of.  I do resent the notion that
"America is responsible for everyone in the world".  *Individuals* are often
morally bound to help their fellow humans, but this does not justify placing
the burden on *societies*.]

Seriously, if we have starving people of our own, why are we ignoring them in
favor of helping others (who are as needy, but aren't necessarily our
responsibility)?  I dislike the welfare system here (whoever it was who
suggested giving them food, not food stamps: I agree), but I abhor the idea
that Father America has to take care of all the little kiddies all over the
world.  How did we manage to get saddled with this while everyone else got
off the hook?

Americans have a right to expect that American tax money be spent on American
interests.

						-Dragon
-- 
UUCP: ...seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!lll-crg!dragon
ARPA: monica.cellio@cmu-cs-cad or dragon@lll-crg