MOO CARE
The European Trade organization points out, in a recent news letter, that the average European cow receives two dollars per day in government subsidy.
The same page also mentions that some two billion people are living on far less than that two dollar amount per day largely because of high trade barriers set by relatively rich people who are getting richer.”
The bulletins shows that “subsidies make the relatively rich richer also make the poor poorer.” The greatest single thing which could be done is to eliminate the excessive tariffs and other restrictions on shipping of foodstuffs would be to remove those barriers which prevent the shipment of foodstuffs. Most of the poverty exists in rural areas which is why the movement of agricultural products must have priority ... and soon
We, of course, can expect to hear very little about this and other worldwide needs during our election year. When that is over, and the residues of hate and distrust engendered by the excessive bickering are swept back under the national carpet, it will be too late for thousands of needy people around the globe.
Years ago the church used to step into this vacant area with increased or focused given to alleviate suffering. Other charitable organizations ,too, could galvanize increased or more direct giving to help solve problems left undone by government in transition. As government became welfare oriented to the extent we have come to consider to be normal, the other charitable groups, especially the church world-wide, has abrogated the task of dealing with such problems to government alone more and more as their responsibility. The concept of being a “missionary church” came to be something which smacked of paternalism and domineering colonialism in the mind and manner of many political and religious leaders. The more we have striven to set up mechanisms whereby church and state are separated the more we have each surrendered our capacity for beneficent giving to the needy here at home, and overseas to an even more marked degree. Such burdens are no longer shared for fear of being politically incorrect and arousing suspicions of being too closely associated one with the other.
Yes, there are churches which do contribute. Some have refused to go along with the changes of recent decades, and they continue to give but too often do so, in relation to the needs associated with crises of past generations and of the old century, rather than to the needs of today. Too often the major effort is to expand the denominational domains rather than to improve the lot of the needy people of the world.
We need to do a great amount of re-thinking concerning the manner in which we give or do not give to others. That two dollar subsidy for cows but less for human beings living in squalor and dire need should tell us something of the present system.
We need a free trade concept on ethical conduct in the worst way.
A.L.M. April 27, 2004 [c508wds]
