tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post8174330803697146946..comments2024-03-19T03:55:23.248-05:00Comments on Althouse: Should Barack Obama be giving handouts to his impoverished African relatives?Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-45785228783112708652011-08-13T01:20:09.541-05:002011-08-13T01:20:09.541-05:00Charity can never be legislated as God blesses a c...Charity can never be legislated as God blesses a cheerful giver. A cheerful giver, gives out of the kindness of their hearts. A wise giver doesn't give to receive applause and for trumpets to be blown. Take a look at the healthcare bill, how they puffed their chest, made a big spectacle about it. Such actions are pagan not Christian. There is nothing authentic about mandating giving. The healthcare bill, socialism is designed to encourage dependent supporters. Its a bribe! Obama is leading people to hell in a handout basket. There's nothing Christian about Obama or his policies. There's nothing Christian about sanctifying sin.<br /><br /> Romans 1:26-32 <br />That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.truth is the fire that burns away the lieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00290302210582395369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-50620028995282488042008-11-03T15:01:00.000-06:002008-11-03T15:01:00.000-06:00[Obama] talks about getting people to work, helpin...[Obama] talks about getting people to work, helping them get the health insurance coverage, improving access to education, and so forth."<BR/><BR/>Just for one example, the "education reform" he actually had anything to do with amounted to (1) political indoctrination, and (2) zero improvement in actual learning.<BR/><BR/>Funny how some people seem to see every problem as an opportunity for government to raise taxes on the productive and spend the money on useless programs while increasing the number of bureaucratic parasites and leftists with an ideology to promulgate. Meanwhile ever more people will be trained into dependency.pst314https://www.blogger.com/profile/08686377680772972035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-5750667504960529032008-11-01T08:20:00.000-05:002008-11-01T08:20:00.000-05:00This thread is long dead but it has belatedly occu...This thread is long dead but it has belatedly occurred to me what I should have said in the first place. (Don't you hate that?) Ann's arguments and those of others who have pointed out that handouts to the needy are not necessarily a good idea are sound, well-grounded in human nature, wise, sensible -- and absolutely damning indictments of Barack Obama's entire conception of government.mrs whatsithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14798352621860024353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-43930390922813841392008-11-01T04:00:00.000-05:002008-11-01T04:00:00.000-05:00"Should Barack Obama be giving handouts to his imp...<I>"Should Barack Obama be giving handouts to his impoverished African relatives?"</I><BR/><BR/>This should probably be amended to say "illegal immigrant, hiding from deportation, impoverished African relatives".<BR/><BR/>You'd think he'd be able to help 'em out with <I>that</I> much.blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05430444326700437630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-958920342564434932008-11-01T03:30:00.000-05:002008-11-01T03:30:00.000-05:00Personally, I don't give a rat's patootie whether ...Personally, I don't give a rat's patootie whether Obama takes care of his poor relations or not. <BR/><BR/>But when this wealthy man proposes to raise MY taxes in the name of "fairness" to provide for them, well, that's another kettle of fish.<BR/><BR/>Now, if some high earners like Warren Buffett, Babs Streisand, Ann Althouse, and Matt Damon truly feel they don't pay enough, they are perfectly free to write a check to the Treasury for any amount. Typically, though, the Treasury receives less than $30,000 per year in such donations. Can you say, "hypocrisy?"<BR/><BR/>I knew that you could!<BR/><BR/>Someone should slap both faces of these poseurs. Their vaunted "compassion" apparently only applies to MY money.Estragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10429699109866973316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-56108474095689241222008-10-31T19:42:00.000-05:002008-10-31T19:42:00.000-05:00Let me repeat what the, seemingly, several hundred...Let me repeat what the, seemingly, several hundred other people have already said. <BR/>Obama is just a hypocrite of the highest order if he can't be bothered to reach into his own pocket to help the poor, who are after all, his own relatives in some cases, but wants government to reach into your pockets instead.<BR/><BR/>Using the scripture of Jesus to give cover to Obama is a new low and you don't seem to have any shame but you should be ashamed, all the same. Judging by the figures released showing his charitable donations, he isn't hiding his "good deeds" out of any Christian sense of modesty.<BR/>They simply don't exist, to any large degree.Jeff Ceehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04083051805702533518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-16894925936424603892008-10-31T17:23:00.000-05:002008-10-31T17:23:00.000-05:00My goodness. Barack Obama is a multi millionaire ...My goodness. Barack Obama is a multi millionaire who hasn't lifted a finger to help his Aunt but I'm the selfish one?<BR/><BR/>Uh-huh. <BR/><BR/>And to answer the question, yes he should be providing for his relatives. If he expects me to cough up my income to "level the playing field" he needs to divest himself of his "excess money" first.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13436411647416040115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-17354261221124743922008-10-31T14:34:00.000-05:002008-10-31T14:34:00.000-05:00Um...you're kidding, right?Have you read his book,...Um...you're kidding, right?<BR/><BR/>Have you read his book, Dreams From My Father? Because if you had, you would have read that he thinks it's important to take care of FAMILY. Looks like ANOTHER Obama lie has floated to the surface.<BR/><BR/>Obama has LOADS of money and it wouldn't take LOADS of money to help his Aunt or his BROTHER to live a very different life from what they are living now. But he chooses NOT to help. <BR/><BR/>Obama wants hard working people like myself to go out to work, provide for my family, and THEN provide for HIS FAMILY. <BR/><BR/>I call BULLSHIT!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14760146591305762959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-56045116340286372632008-10-31T12:57:00.000-05:002008-10-31T12:57:00.000-05:00Ann,What you are saying is simply wrong. We all h...Ann,<BR/><BR/>What you are saying is simply wrong. We all have an obligation to take care of our family. I help out my relatives even though I make way less than Obama.<BR/><BR/>Your comment that hey "she's 56 shouldn't see be working. That is the exact attitude most of us take when you liberals try to foist these programs on us.<BR/><BR/>While, I think Obama was/is wrong, you have missed the point. The point is that it's his money and his choice. You liberals seem to say we'll help out (through tax) but only with everyone's money.<BR/><BR/>This is clear when you look at giving. Obama and Biden have given virtually nothing to charity, which seems to undermine their belief that others need a handout. The Palins on the oter hand have been very generous (when they in fact make much less than the Obamas or the Bidens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-81637617261032084012008-10-30T23:11:00.000-05:002008-10-30T23:11:00.000-05:00It could be very much worse for Zeituni Onyango.Sh...It could be very much worse for Zeituni Onyango.<BR/><BR/>She could be related to Jennifer Hudson.Baron Zemohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17301531733692419610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40510291761784194032008-10-30T21:05:00.000-05:002008-10-30T21:05:00.000-05:00Ann,Here's a corrected version of my support for y...Ann,<BR/><BR/>Here's a corrected version of my support for you.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://moneyrunner.blogspot.com/2008/10/is-ann-althouse-religious-fanatic.html" REL="nofollow">Is Ann Althouse a Religious Fanatic? </A><BR/><BR/>I don't think you really are. I'm reliably told even the Devil can quote scripture.Moneyrunnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12940253500799383224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-50356771771148197042008-10-30T20:39:00.000-05:002008-10-30T20:39:00.000-05:00even better renditionGod I wish the 60's and 70's...<A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln18MAoO4O0" REL="nofollow"> even better rendition</A><BR/><BR/>God I wish the 60's and 70's would just go away.Dust Bunny Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13341429444562280127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-16501096250984308312008-10-30T20:36:00.000-05:002008-10-30T20:36:00.000-05:00It's easy to be generous in the abstract. With oth...It's easy to be generous in the abstract. With other people's money.<BR/><BR/>But.....with liberals,just like Joe and Obama, stingy with their own money on a personal level.<BR/><BR/>Easy to be hard<BR/>Easy to say no.<BR/><BR/><A>Do you only care about the bleeding crowd.</A><BR/><BR/>Even when I saw this show live in the 60's I knew it was all about the liberals who care about people in the abstract, but who step over you in the personal level.Dust Bunny Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13341429444562280127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-38750317946087517382008-10-30T18:57:00.000-05:002008-10-30T18:57:00.000-05:00Ann Althouse defends Barack Obama for not helping ...Ann Althouse defends Barack Obama for not helping out his impoverished relatives and I have to agree with her. First of all, Barack comes from a very large family in which the men had multiple wives and an even large number of children, I’m sure it takes a village rather than a mere multi-millionaire who has raised nearly a billion dollars in contributions to help out all the assorted aunt, uncles, brothers sisters, half brothers, half sisters, half aunts and half uncles and other even less related relatives all of whom may be in need either in Boston or Kenya.<BR/><BR/>Second, as Ann points out, it is not his fault that his relatives are living is squalor. He has not mistreated them, in fact he remarks on some of them in his autobiographies. And being mentioned in one’s autobiography does not obligate one to send a buck or two to keep up anyone’s shack in Nairobi or cold water flat in Boston. As Ann points out, handouts can keep these ner-do-wells from finding gainful employment and earning a living for themselves. As Ann has pointed out many times before, welfare of this kind is bad for society, especially if the welfare is administered by relatives. They are apt to keep coming back and making pests of themselves. Once this kind of thing begins, who knows, in the end Barack could end up supporting generations of lazy relatives and then where would he be?<BR/><BR/>I do have a rather major objection to Ann’s gratuitous reference to religion, specifically Christianity in her remarks. Religion has no place in discussions of public policy or private philanthropy in America. We must observe the injunction that we have separation of church and state and appeals to Christianity are no more than veiled attempts to impose a not-so-veiled attempt to impose a theocracy on America. No sooner has Jerry Farwell died than Ann in invoking the bible as a talking point. I am always surprised by the hidden theocrats that are found on college campuses. <BR/><BR/>It does little to advance the conversation to refer to Barack’s references to being his brother’s and sister’s keepers. We all know that in that Bible fable he was referring to the story of Cain and Abel. The one in which one bother murdered the other. What Barack meant to say was that he wanted to help his brothers and sisters out, but there was absolutely no reference to half-brothers or half-sisters and certainly no reference to half-aunts living in a slum in Boston.<BR/><BR/>So Ann, I’m on your side. No matter what anyone says charity is not an individual responsibility. If you can’t get congress to pass a welfare law, the hell with the relatives.Moneyrunnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12940253500799383224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-56403597148377551902008-10-30T17:14:00.000-05:002008-10-30T17:14:00.000-05:00That's the point of the plan to redistribute wealt...<I>That's the point of the plan to redistribute wealth via income tax "credits", i.e. cutting checks to people who don't pay any income tax at all, paid for by taxes on people making over $250K, or $150K or $75K or something.<BR/><BR/>Soft-hearted.<BR/>Handouts.</I><BR/><BR/>The earned income tax credit was initiated by that noted communist, Gerald Ford, and greatly expanded by that revered socialist, Ronald Reagan, who at the time of signing the expansion bill, declared it was “the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress.” <BR/><BR/>What a couple of saps Ford and Reagan were!<BR/><BR/>Cindy's moral obligation to share their father's wealth with her older sisters is far greater than Barack's moral obligation to share the wealth he earned himself with his father's "by-blows of a travelling man," correct? Cindy's sisters should have contested the will, asking to receive their intestate shares. Besides, George probably can live quite decently on a small amount of money in Kenya, while the cost of living in Phoenix is much higher.former law studenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15196697206046544350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-69384071395187821322008-10-30T16:29:00.000-05:002008-10-30T16:29:00.000-05:00Poor deluded liberals - they just don't understand...Poor deluded liberals - they just don't understand that one helps one's family. It's real simple - no need to trot out theoretical discussions or Bible verses - just do what you can. It's just that easy. And it's the right thing to do.bleeperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289440149118438141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-38413548659715618012008-10-30T16:04:00.000-05:002008-10-30T16:04:00.000-05:00I fail to see how Jesus' words in Matthew 6 apply....I fail to see how Jesus' words in Matthew 6 apply. That passage is talking about the manner is which someone gives alms to the needy. It isn't referring to whether it is a good idea to give alms to the needy. There are those that do it to receive temporary accolades from mankind, and those that do it privately for a more Eternal reward.<BR/><BR/>It would have still been possible to help them out without it being a media circus. Sen. Obama seems to be able to kept his campaign tight-lipped about many other things. Even if it did become so, because the Media were praising Sen. Obama's actions, it would not happen because he wanted the Media to spotlight those actions.Potterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146559634922417717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-83816032782514464452008-10-30T15:55:00.000-05:002008-10-30T15:55:00.000-05:00Ann, your post was foolish. There are many politi...Ann, your post was foolish. There are many politicians who are particularly stingy or frugal (depending on your disposition) with their own money and magnamous with the public's money. And the reverse is also true. I would much rather have the latter than the former. <BR/><BR/>The fact that Obama is stingy with his own purse strings tells us nothing about his committment to fiscal discipline. However, his public record tells us a lot. <BR/><BR/>I would much rather that Obama toss his relatives a few dollars than having Massachusetts taxpayers subsidize them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-72427570608879512382008-10-30T15:53:00.000-05:002008-10-30T15:53:00.000-05:00I kind of like the idea that redistributionists ar...I kind of like the idea that redistributionists are "soft-hearted" or "bleeding-heart liberals". Yeah, Mao and Stalin were soft touches, weren't they?blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05430444326700437630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-61390354020391203552008-10-30T15:51:00.000-05:002008-10-30T15:51:00.000-05:00If you have a brother who sits around, not earning...<I>If you have a brother who sits around, not earning money, and demanding handouts, the right way to be his "keeper" is to get him to take responsibility for himself.</I><BR/><BR/>Althouse, you're so hard-hearted.blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05430444326700437630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-75492946906047118712008-10-30T15:34:00.000-05:002008-10-30T15:34:00.000-05:00Sorry, Prof. A, but this is the single least persu...Sorry, Prof. A, but this is the single least persuasive post I've ever read from you.<BR/><BR/>If you were court-appointed counsel for Obama on this charge, this would meet the constitutional standard of effective assistance -- but you'd still lose every time with these arguments.<BR/><BR/>Your main problem is that your client has already acted in a manner inconsistent with your justifications for him, i.e., by trying (via his staff) to cover up the aunt.<BR/><BR/>If he's the tough-but-fair moralist you posit -- ha! ha! ahhhh-ha-ha! sorry, had to get that out -- then he ought to have used her as a national example and brought affirmative press attention to her situation.<BR/><BR/>As is, your defense is altogether too much like the "he took all that money from the open bank vault because he was concerned that someone else might steal it" defense -- logically possible, but utterly contrary to common sense.Beldarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13404583858244777905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-52576490118088492972008-10-30T15:25:00.000-05:002008-10-30T15:25:00.000-05:00A couple years ago, we (my husband and I) were in ...A couple years ago, we (my husband and I) were in a situation with a close family member - a family member living below the poverty line, a learning disability and an addiction. She was living with us for a short while, as she tried to get her life together. She disappeared on us a few times, with some of those being to the local detox center.<BR/><BR/>There was an ongoing discussion within the larger family as to what to do to try and help her. Money and emotional support were suggested. Both were given with boundaries clearly drawn. Eventually, she got back up on her feet.<BR/><BR/>You just don't know what's going on within a family and why decisions are made the way they are. Families do the best that they can. Perhaps material goods/money were offered, but refused. For some, the offer of money is a slap in the face. We don't know. We don't need to know. It's none of our damn business even if he is running for President.kjbehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02205930548533839170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-46334604994935338882008-10-30T15:08:00.000-05:002008-10-30T15:08:00.000-05:00Obama doesn't need to be helping his relatives oth...Obama doesn't need to be helping his relatives other than the grandma who raised him. <BR/><BR/>He also doesn't need to raise taxes on working Americans to give the money to other working Americans who aren't as smart and don't work as hard.<BR/><BR/>Obama's wealthy (and will get wealthier) so he can live off capital gains. If he wants, then he can whack the very wealthy with net worth taxes, put he shouldn't punish people who work for a living.mcculloughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03168402889404727565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-10791935994488844752008-10-30T15:06:00.000-05:002008-10-30T15:06:00.000-05:00Handouts to people with special connections are le...<I>Handouts to people with special connections are less, not more compelling.</I><BR/><BR/>Ann, have you ever read Ayn Rand?<BR/><BR/>I read Atlas Shrugged a very long time ago, and I'll admit that I skimmed a whole lot of it. One of the ideas I noticed, though, was that taking care of one's own family was considered morally questionable. You only really counted as a good person if you took care of people you didn't know and had no emotional connection to.<BR/><BR/>And I scoffed because I was certain no one actually thought that way.Synovahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01311191981918160095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-14635116957280316152008-10-30T14:53:00.000-05:002008-10-30T14:53:00.000-05:00Don't you think he could reach out and arrange a j...Don't you think he could reach out and arrange a job for her at the very least? How hard would that be? Plenty of pretend jobs to be had for those with the right connections. Doesn't ACORN have a Boston office?<BR/><BR/>Oh, and what Synova said.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12623422545436294378noreply@blogger.com