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Freedom Action of the Week
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Free-Market.Net's F r e e d o m A c t i o n o f t h e W e e k
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Edited by Thomas L. Knapp. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this and
other lists, click to: http://www.free-market.net/features/lists/
----- Featured Action of the Week -----
Second Week of March, 2002
Leading by example
Guest column by Louis James
We advocates of freedom are often decrying so-called government charity,
saying we don't need the state to force charity ... but few of us go on to
do things that most people would recognize as charitable acts. This gives
many people the impression that maybe we do need government to make charity
happen after all.
Now, some folks don't engage in any sort of charity as an explicit and
consciously held principle of personal action. Not only do they believe
that the invisible hand will help everyone the most if they pursue their
own self interest, but they deny any moral value in helping others (if the
invisible hand helps folks, that's fine, but it's of no interest to them).
Fine.
But most people simply can't connect to that. I've maintained for years
that engaging in voluntary acts of charity sends very powerful messages. It
*shows* that we don't need government force to intrude into the sphere of
charity, rather than just talking about invisible hands most people don't
believe in.
It makes great *tactical* sense to engage in voluntary charity --
especially if the charity proves more effective than coerced government
so-called charity, as it almost always does.
There are true victims of circumstance around the world who, if those with
charitable impulses were to invest in them, might repay the efforts of such
visible hands with valuable contributions to the general welfare. Starving
children in basket-case countries are particularly pure examples of this.
But still, who wants to give to UNICEF? Not a libertarian. There are other
choices, however. Consider the following from libertarian investment guru
Doug Casey:
"Of course, despising welfare, I'm also somewhat disinclined towards
organized charities, as well. They tend to quickly become top-heavy
vehicles for the politically correct to righteously play big shot with
other people's money. At some point soon, I'll editorialize about the
corruption charity often brings, and why those of you with plans along
those lines may want to rethink it. So I was only marginally enthusiastic
about the Foundation for Mercy and Sharing, founded by my friend Susie
Krabacher, whom I accompanied on this trip.
"Susie is a legend in Haiti; everyone knows her. An ex-Playboy centerfold
and cover girl, she's done well in the world, and truly wants to help other
people in thanksgiving; she picked the right place. I've seen poverty, I
promise you, but what goes on in Haiti is a whole other level -- and an
excellent barometer of how far this place has fallen.
"Poor people regularly abandon children, already on death's door, they
can't care for. What happens is that they're basically stacked up like fire
wood in an unrefrigerated morgue, before they die, and sometimes aren't
buried for months after they die, because there's no money to dispose of
them. It literally defies the imagination. In any event, Susie has set up,
on a shoestring, an orphanage for about 1,600 kids, and it is impossible to
find fault with the small organization. And I say that as someone who
believes most charities aren't worth the powder it would take to blow them
to hell. If you're so inclined, you can contact her at haitikids@aol.com,
or 970-925-1492."
I wrote to Susie and she confirmed for me that "we do not receive any
government aid at all and rely on individuals and private foundations for
most financial support."
I think it would be really refreshing to see free-marketeers push the idea
of showing with deeds, not just words, that government "charity" is not
just flawed, but unnecessary and often counterproductive. Aristide's
"enlightened government" is certainly not helping the children -- Susie is.
And Susie's Mercy and Sharing Foundation is like a pro-market think tank
that doesn't take government funds; a worthy recipient on that score alone.
You can see her site at:
http://HaitiChildren.com/
I'd like to ask free-marketeers to do something different; show the world
that free people don't need to be forced to care about the stricken. I'd
very specifically like to see them heap cash on Susie's foundation, but any
kind of help would do, including forwarding this column to everyone in
their Rolodex, etc., etc. This is a case where it makes sense to ask your
non-libertarian friends to join in; this is an action almost anyone could
feel good about taking.
[Editor's note: Free-Market.Net's president, Louis James, recently
mentioned this worthy project to me, and I thought it was a natural for
Action of the Week. After looking at his own description of it, I realized
that I didn't need to write an article -- he had already done a better job
than I would have. Regards, Tom Knapp]
Action of the Week archive:
http://www.free-market.net/features/list-archives/activism/maillist.html
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