America's charitable efforts are ENIGMATIC

   We Americans are a charitable lot and that is a good thing.  Whenever there is an international tragedy such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina … we step up to the plate in a big way.  It’s who we are as a people.  Again, that is a good thing.  However, as generous as we are to other causes whether they are domestic (Hurricane Katrina) or international catastrophes, we are loathe to be as charitable to everyday causes that are important to our fellow Americans.  Our charitable efforts are enigmatic.

   The United States is the wealthiest country in the world and, according to the Forbes list, is home to 20 of the 50 wealthiest people in the world.  In fact, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who are second and third, respectively on the Forbes list, have asked their billionaire American contemporaries to donate a collective $600 billion to charity.  Considering the net worth of the 400 richest American is approximately $1.2 trillion, that number is not as far fetched as it seems.  If there are two people who can make this goal become a reality, it would be Gates and Buffet. 

   However, the same Americans on the target list of Gates and Buffet, have seen tax rates decrease dramatically for those in their economic stratosphere in the last 30 years.  We have a $14 trillion national debt in America that is the result of wasteful spending in addition to a decreased national REVENUE problem, too.  Simply, the government is not taking in enough money.  In the Congressional lame duck session in 2010, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that was signed by Republican members of the Senate categorically stating the Republican members of the Senate would not vote on any legislation before an agreement on extending the Bush tax cuts that were due to expire on December 31, 2010.  Never mind that extending the tax cuts would ADD nearly a trillion dollars to the national debt over a 10 year span.  The Republicans HAD to have the extension of those tax cuts.  They were successful in getting them extended, too.  Had the Bush tax cuts been allowed to expire, 60% of the national debt would have been eliminated.  Now the push is for dramatic cuts in social programs, public education and in the funding of infrastructure projects.  The Congress will hash out an agreement for a budget in the coming weeks.  Those developments will be discussed in another time and space.

   In 2009, Americans personally donated $227 billion to charitable causes and the total combined donations that included corporate America was over $305 billion.  Those numbers are staggering.  We’ll give to just about any charitable cause around the globe, but we seemingly aren’t willing to give a hand to our fellow Americans who are less fortunate.  It is a strange dichotomy:

• Invade Iraq and Afghanistan and rebuild their infrastructures?  Response: Sure. 
• Ask for tax increases to fund the rebuilding of our infrastructure?  Response: Filibuster.

• Finance the education of Iraqi and Afghani women?  Response: No problem. 
• Increase taxes to fund public education in America?  Response: No way.  In fact, let’s CUT spending on public education in America.

• Contract with private American armies for additional security in Afghanistan and Iraq?  Response: Yezzzirr. 
• Increase taxes to avoid laying off law enforcement personnel all across America?  Response: Fuggedaboutit.

• Send food to feed the famished populations of third world countries?  Response: Sure.  How could we not? 
• Extend unemployment benefits for Americans so THEY can feed THEIR families?  Response: Are you kiddin’ me?  That’s a HANDOUT.

   Why are we Americans more eager to help the less fortunate OUTSIDE of our borders than we are to help the less fortunate INSIDE our borders?  Somebody PLEASE help me understand.

   A familiar buzz phrase that is tossed around TOO often is “smaller government”.  Whenever I have asked those who espouse “small government” what would they like for the government to do, I get a laundry list of things that government should do.  When reminding the “small government” advocates that their government wish list would cost a considerable amount of money, their remedy is to cut spending.  Of course.  Why give Americans in need a handout?

   Perhaps we should ask Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to ask their well heeled friends to donate the money to the United States treasury instead of paying the money in taxes.  Perhaps they would feel better if it were positioned as a donation instead of a tax.  Can you imagine the reaction Gates and Buffet would get if they asked the same crowd to pay $600 billion in new taxes?  Armageddon!

   We Americans have hearts of gold when it comes to helping the less fortunate outside of our borders.  Conversely, we are easily disgusted when asked to help the less fortunate inside our borders.

   Why ARE our charitable efforts so ENIGMATIC?

Peace, peace in the Middle East! 

Craig Riggins

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