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Hawke[_3_]

On 4/7/2010 4:55 AM, wrote:
On Apr 6, 6:41 pm, wrote:

That's nice but it doesn't mean anything because the actual amount of
money spent by philanthropists to do good is a pittance compared to what
the government does. I'm all for people that have made lots of money
using it to do some good. But I know the facts. Which happen to be that
as a group the wealthy are cheapskates when it comes to giving to the
needy. That is why the government has to do it. The amount given by the
rich just ain't all that much. That's not my belief. That's what the
facts say. Just like the facts say the U.S. government only gives about
1% of GNP in foreign aid. Everyone thinks we're so generous but as a
percentage of what we have we're far behind other countries.

Hawke

But your " Facts " are wrong. The money spent by philanthropists does
much more good per dollar than the government aid does. Bill Gates
has done more to reduce malaria in a few years than the U.S.
Government has done is the last 100 years.

Dan

The fact that Bill Gates has done a lot to eliminate malaria really has
nothing to do with the good our government has done compared to what
private philanthropists have done. The fact is that "charitable" giving
by private individuals is only a drop in the bucket compared to what the
government has done. For and example take the building of the Panama
Canal. That was done by the government. It did more for business and
commerce than anything any private interests had done by far. It's the
same story everywhere you look. The amount of money contributed by
Americans for the relief of victims of Katrina was nothing compared to
what the government spent. Same with Haiti. Private is nothing compared
to the government's contribution. That is just the way it is.

Hawke