Reasonable People

For the last few days, I have been pestering Steve at Thy Grace is Sufficient about The ONE Campaign. I want to thank him for giving this issue more thought. He has been doing some heavy reading and some heavy lifting and has now posted his latest thoughts in his piece: The One Campaign, Pros and Cons.

I never meant to imply that AIDS and poverty in Africa were simple issues or that The ONE Campaign was too simple of a solution. I love this cause, but I reject many of the methods of this campaign. Sometimes doing something, even with good intentions, is the wrong thing to do when it causes more harm than good. Free people taking advantage of free markets is a solution that works every time to reduce poverty. The redistribution of wealth through force is a temporary band-aid that creates a long term great big fat festering sore everywhere and every time it has been unleashed on a population of people.

"... whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." is the rationale Steve is using for supporting the campaign. Reasonable people can always find disagreement about certain methods. However, every proposal made by The ONE Campaign will definitely hurt someone without even knowing if someone else will be helped. Some of the “someone’s” that will be hurt are “the least of these”. Don’t we also have a minimal obligation to at least not cause more harm and more suffering?

I hope Steve will forgive me for being such a pest.