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This is not an issue for the government to address. I don't think that people should let them stand by and die, but good governments don't have the powers neces
by cookiecaper 15y ago
This is not an issue for the government to address. I don't think that people should let them stand by and die, but good governments don't have the powers necessary to give out free money to people they think deserve it. Communities would be expected to handle it in the way most palatable to them. How much more room would Americans have for charity if their paychecks got 50% fatter due to eliminating income and payroll taxation?
- _delirium 15y agoThere's an interesting argument from Friedrich Hayek (who's usually considered libertarian-leaning) that that approach is actually less pro-individual-liberty than a government safety net is, because it coerces people to stay in collectivist-type communities like ethnic groups, churches, etc., even if they would prefer to leave them, due to the dependence on the safety nets those groups provide. He argues that having a minimal government safety net would give people more freedom to choose their associations within society, since e.g. leaving the Mormon church would no longer mean losing your main safety net.