By now everybody has seen or heard the CNN interview between Nancy Pelosi and Wolf Blitzer. In the last few lines that I reference below you can begin to understand everything about their warped and self- centered concepts of philosophical agency, charity, and their own positions as they relate to those unfortunate amongst us who are living at the margins
Wolf Blitzer: (12:24)
I am sensitive to them because I see them on the street begging for food, begging for money. Madam Speaker, thank you so much.
Nancy Pelosi: (12:30)
Have you fed them? We feed them. We feed them
Like so many arguments offered by the political left “We feed them” implies that because they use the fruits of your labor—taxes that you pay and they disperse, they are morally superior to you because they care. During the Medicare debate two years ago I asked a panelist supporting Medicaid Expansion if he felt he cared more about poor people than me because he supported expansion and I didn’t. He wouldn’t answer the question but like so many liberals his silence spoke volumes about his sense of moral superiority. Was he going to pay for Medicaid Expansion or were the tax payers?
In the story of The Good Samaritan, Jesus answers the question of “who is my neighbor” by telling the story of a Jewish man who had been robbed and beaten and was found lying on the ground. A Jewish Priest saw him and passed him by as did a Levite, but a Samaritan (Jewish people felt Samaritans to be of a lower class) saw the man, tended to his wounds and revived him. The point of the story was that it was the Samaritan who was acting as a “neighbor” not the two who came from the same sect or class of people. Being a good neighbor is defined by one’s actions, not what clan you belong to or the color of your skin, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
When Jesus teaches to “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesars” he asks the Pharisees whose face is on the coin—Caesars. The point inferred ownership of money, but most importantly Caesar had no claim on the hearts of man. It is God’s face on man’s heart. It is not the job of government to be the conduit for charity. Government is not the agent between the giver of charity and the receiver of charity. In Mathew Jesus tells us “what you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me” Charity is an act between giver and receiver to which God is a party. God, not government is the agent of charity. When our elected representatives place themselves between giver and receiver they apparently look at themselves as “gods or goddesses”. And unfortunately over time so many of our politicians come to feel this way. They are taking credit for the offerings of the people they represent. IT IS NOT THEIR CHARITY.
Is it any wonder that for so many years Joe Biden on his tax forms claimed so few charitable deductions? Same with the Clinton’s during their White House years? Our President gives 100% of his income to charity.
And what about Wolf Blitzer (“I see them in the street everyday”) and Nancy Pelosi (“we feed them”). Are they walking by the people in need in the street and believing that by being conduits of exchange they are fulfilling their obligations to their fellow man? What role would each play in this story? I think Wolf would be the Levite and Nancy the priest. Neither would really want to look into the eyes of those in need, but rather delegate that responsibility to a social worker, or a nurse or a doctor, or a mental health specialist, or a teacher or a cop. They wouldn’t want to get their hands dirty just like the antagonists in the parable.
And finally who is really doing the “feeding”? How about working mothers and fathers, laborers who work hard, go to church put money in the collection plate and thank God for their lives. And what about employers and entrepreneurs who create jobs for people to provide for their families and think up ideas to make all of our lives easier and better?
The value of human capital and working men and women are what create utility for all of us—not politicians—oh yea we also feed them—they don’t feed us.
