I can't believe what a selfish, and pathetic poverty mindset I'm witnessing. Surprising coming from one who claims to be so heavily involved in charitable works. Wealth empowers people to be a philanthropic force for good in the world. It empowers people to make decisions, take effective actions where needed, and to bridge the gap for many.
It was wealth that empowered my friend to build 2 schools, one in Thailand and the other in Somoa in 2006.
It was wealth that empowered Oprah to build her academy for girls in South Africa.
It was wealth that empowered my friend Bob to spend the last 20 years doing missionary work abroad.
It was wealth that has allowed many Americans to get the life saving necessary medical care they needed.
It's wealth that provides the capital for many worthwhile, entrepreneurial & philanthropic ventures all over the world
You are no good to anyone else if you cannot even help yourself. Food & warmth are good, but what good can you do in the world if that's all you have? A homeless, unemployed guy in Jamaica has all the food & warmth he'll ever need, ...but what can he do to leave a legacy? And if you don't think that being a force for good in the world, and making a positive difference in people's lives does not bring happiness & fulfillment to one's life, ...you've obviously never done it.
"my friend", "Oprah", "my friend Bob", "Americans"? What about you Jag? What charitable works has wealth empowered you to do? And you call me selfish?
Here you go Jag:
"Americans give more to charity, per capita and as a percentage of gross domestic product, than the citizens of other nations"
"The most charitable people in America today are the working poor."
"it's in fact low-income employed Americans who give the highest portion of their income, or 4.5%."
"low-income people give almost 30 percent more as a share of their income."
"When you look at the data," says Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks, "it turns out the conservatives give about 30 percent more. And incidentally, conservative-headed families make slightly less money."
Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatismby Arthur C. Brooks
# ISBN-10: 0465008232
# ISBN-13: 978-0465008230
http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/24/america-philanthropy-income-oped-cx_ee_1226eaves.htmlhttp://abcnews.go.com/print?id=2682730http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/2006/12/06/who_gives_to_charity?page=fullAnd there is more:
"But the idea that liberals give more is a myth. Of the top 25 states where people give an above-average percentage of their income, all but one (Maryland) were red -- conservative -- states in the last presidential election."
"The people who give one thing tend to be the people who give everything in America. You find that people who believe it's the government's job to make incomes more equal, are far less likely to give their money away."
"Conservatives are even 18 percent more likely to donate blood."
"Religious people are more likely to give to charity, and when they give, they give more money -- four times as much."
"Religious Americans are more likely to give to every kind of cause and charity, including explicitly nonreligious charities. Religious people give more blood; religious people give more to homeless people on the street."
