tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post7577880619149427329..comments2024-03-06T04:31:53.093+11:00Comments on Just in CASE: Do Fair Trade and Foreign Aid work?Trevor Cairneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10743409298855125040noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post-56618872038522886682008-06-10T22:07:00.000+10:002008-06-10T22:07:00.000+10:00Thanks Puritan Lad. This is a fair comment and I a...Thanks Puritan Lad. This is a fair comment and I appreciate you making it. You’re right that Scripture doesn’t suggest that governments should be involved in charitable work. It says much more about man’s relationship to God and neighbours and our individual responsibility to the poor. But of course government in biblical times was not as we know it today in the type of western democracies in which we both live. When we consider that governments in countries like Australia, like the nation itself, are secular, not Christian, then it becomes harder to be too rigid in relation to the role of government in charitable work. <BR/><BR/>When it comes to foreign aid, there are problems with gifts of large sums of money from one government to another (as I said in the post); hence some people oppose it completely. Governments are accountable to the people they serve so they must account for the wise stewardship of our money. So it seems to me there are a few options. For example, you could argue for no charitable giving by one’s government to another government; argue for such gifts with no strings attached (e.g. send large amounts of money to Burma without asking questions); or argue for carefully crafted giving that might lead to just outcomes for the people in the recipient countries. In suggesting more of the latter for governments, as well as major aid organizations, my assumption was that there WILL be aid. I was also thinking of gifts such as money for microcredit projects (i.e. projects that loan money to individuals to start new businesses), gifts to establish hospitals, the building of schools, cataract clinics, safe water projects etc. <BR/><BR/>While I agree that the Bible doesn’t offer much guidance on government intervention in the economic reform of other nations, neither does it argue against it tied gifts to other governments. It’s pretty silent on such things, which isn’t surprising. So I think you could build a biblical argument (on ethical grounds) against a government giving to a poor nation in exchange for the right to build a military airstrip in the country to serve some regional strategic defence role. But, I think you’d find it harder to use the Scriptures to argue against giving money only for an eye clinic in nation where cataracts are a major health problem; putting lots of money into targeted microcredit projects in poor nations; or only providing food to Burma because you don’t trust the regime to use any money given for food. I think there is some freedom for different positions here. <BR/><BR/>I'm sure that Adam Smith would argue for limited government intervention, free trade, removal of tariffs, etc. But he would probably have loved microcredit projects. And while I'd agree with him on many points, I'm not prepared to follow him 'all the way' in applying his arguments to our 2008 world economy. <BR/><BR/>Sorry for the long-winded reply.Trevor Cairneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10743409298855125040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160916.post-48711218079005253502008-06-10T06:28:00.000+10:002008-06-10T06:28:00.000+10:00On this point, I would disagree."I should actively...On this point, I would disagree.<BR/><BR/><I>"I should actively encourage governments and major aid organizations to use support wisely to help communities to become more sustainable and self-sufficient economically, agriculturally and educationally."</I><BR/><BR/>The only economic activity that governments should be involved with is none. While charity is commanded in Scripture, you will not find it given to civil governments.<BR/><BR/>Adam Smith all the way baby ;)Puritan Ladhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02240560332777968090noreply@blogger.com