"Ignoramus4115" wrote in message
...
On 2009-12-28, Randall Replogle wrote:
Gunner

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the
means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not
making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of
it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different
countries, that the more public provisions were made for the
poor the less they provided for themselves, and of course became
poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the
more they did for themselves, and became richer." -- Benjamin
Franklin, /The Encouragement of Idleness/, 1766

That was quick!

BTW, I like the quote.
Randy


One has to wonder how it applies to Gunner himself, however. For
example, would he be richer now if he was kicked out of hospital when
he had his stroke or heart attack?

There is actually a lot of truth to the quote, but it does not apply
as universally as I used to think.

Franklin himself gave a hint to your question. Gunner clipped the quote just
before this:

"There is no country in the world where so many provisions are established
for them; so many hospitals to receive them when they are sick or lame,
founded and maintained by voluntary charities; so many alms-houses for the
aged of both sexes, together with a solemn general law made by the rich to
subject their estates to a heavy tax for the support of the poor. Under all
these obligations, are our poor modest, humble, and thankful; and do they
use their best endeavours to maintain themselves, and lighten our shoulders
of this burthen? -- On the contrary..."

--
Ed Huntress