>>>>The objection is to those who make themselves feel righteous by "doing good "spending other people's money. <g>
>>>
>>>Righteous? Dang, they should feel responsible, and be hung by their spheres if they swindle it out.
>>
>>I don't think the problem is corruption on the part of the elected. I think there are well-meaning people whose primary concern is to think well of themselves, to think what good, compassionate, caring people they are. They really believe that by taking other peoples money and spending it on social programs that look like they
should accomplish something they are proving what good people they are. They have little interest whether or not the solutions actually work and in fact don't really care much about the people they are trying to "help", as they have already accomplished their personal goals of knowing they are good people and not like those nasty people who don't care enough to throw other people's money at problems.
>
>That's no better than charity. It's so easy to be generous with other people's money and feel important at that. The same spherical geometry theorem applies.
Not sure I understand what you are saying. Giving your own money seems to have a little more sincerity attached ( though I grant you part of the motive is also to think well of oneself ) than being infinitely generous with other people's money.
Charles Hankey
Though a good deal is too strange to be believed, nothing is too strange to have happened.
- Thomas Hardy
Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm-- but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.
-- T. S. Eliot
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.
- Ben Franklin
Pardon him, Theodotus. He is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.
