Comments on: Liberal Compassion in “Action” http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/liberal-compassion-in-action/ Fighting a never ending battle... Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:04:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tom von Alten http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/liberal-compassion-in-action/comment-page-1/#comment-58333 Tom von Alten Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:21:08 +0000 http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/liberal-compassion-in-action/#comment-58333 You have some data to support your "generalization" and/or "rule," I assume? I'd be fascinated to see the statistics that support your claim. As for ideal societies, I agree they're ideal, and that we don't happen to live in one. Bureaucracy and its inefficiencies is not limited to government. Individuals do not have the power to accomplish communal goals -- hence, governments, corporations, other forms of association, and their inherent bureaucracies. Consider the closest example we have for broad-coverage health insurance: Medicare. The data show that it has run pretty efficiently; much more so than for-profit health insurance industry. If we were really talking about efficiency, we would be looking for ways to expand Medicare's successes, but that isn't the agenda. The agenda is "government bad." Generalizations are useful, but they are not a substitute for actually thinking through issues. Just for starters, a generalization has to at least be <i>meaningful.</i> "Government is generally far less effective than individuals" is not a meaningful declarative sentence. We can't argue the truth value of a statement in a form that can be neither true nor false. You have some data to support your “generalization” and/or “rule,” I assume? I’d be fascinated to see the statistics that support your claim.

As for ideal societies, I agree they’re ideal, and that we don’t happen to live in one.

Bureaucracy and its inefficiencies is not limited to government. Individuals do not have the power to accomplish communal goals — hence, governments, corporations, other forms of association, and their inherent bureaucracies.

Consider the closest example we have for broad-coverage health insurance: Medicare. The data show that it has run pretty efficiently; much more so than for-profit health insurance industry. If we were really talking about efficiency, we would be looking for ways to expand Medicare’s successes, but that isn’t the agenda. The agenda is “government bad.”

Generalizations are useful, but they are not a substitute for actually thinking through issues. Just for starters, a generalization has to at least be meaningful. “Government is generally far less effective than individuals” is not a meaningful declarative sentence. We can’t argue the truth value of a statement in a form that can be neither true nor false.

]]> By: Adam Graham http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/liberal-compassion-in-action/comment-page-1/#comment-58167 Adam Graham Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:22:59 +0000 http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/liberal-compassion-in-action/#comment-58167 While, it may be a generalization, it's a truthful one. Politically Conservative people are more generous than politically liberal folks as a rule. Certainly there are exceptions, but this is the average. I don't think that government is the ideal enforcer of compassion. An ideal society, communities should care for their own through private action. Government is generally far less effective than individuals. Bureaucracies devour huge chunks of money meant to melt and it's often applied with one size-fits-all cookie cutter solutions that often don't work. While, it may be a generalization, it’s a truthful one. Politically Conservative people are more generous than politically liberal folks as a rule. Certainly there are exceptions, but this is the average.

I don’t think that government is the ideal enforcer of compassion. An ideal society, communities should care for their own through private action. Government is generally far less effective than individuals. Bureaucracies devour huge chunks of money meant to melt and it’s often applied with one size-fits-all cookie cutter solutions that often don’t work.

]]> By: Tom von Alten http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/liberal-compassion-in-action/comment-page-1/#comment-58165 Tom von Alten Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:03:38 +0000 http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/liberal-compassion-in-action/#comment-58165 "Freakshow compassion," that's catchy. It very nicely lets all of us off the hook, too. Gosh, if only there were a fund to help this one person, I'd chip in, but since there isn't, why doesn't some good (and rich) person start one, anyway? Adam, your thinking is fuzzy here. "Compassion of the left" (or of the right, whatever) is a broad and uninformative caricature that you offer as a strawman. Beating on strawman might be good exercise, but it's not useful work. Do we have any collective responsibilities to one another? Or is it every man for himself, and each of us can chip in a few bucks when the spirit moves us? “Freakshow compassion,” that’s catchy. It very nicely lets all of us off the hook, too. Gosh, if only there were a fund to help this one person, I’d chip in, but since there isn’t, why doesn’t some good (and rich) person start one, anyway?

Adam, your thinking is fuzzy here. “Compassion of the left” (or of the right, whatever) is a broad and uninformative caricature that you offer as a strawman. Beating on strawman might be good exercise, but it’s not useful work.

Do we have any collective responsibilities to one another? Or is it every man for himself, and each of us can chip in a few bucks when the spirit moves us?

]]>