Originally posted by Majisto:
Regarding the new Orleans discussion, I don't think many people can comprehend what N.O. is all about. Let me explain why N.O. can never be compared to many other cities.

I have lived there and so has my father's side of the family. It's a town full of people who know nothing about the outside world. Many of them know only about New Orleans and the area around it. They don't take vacations to California, New York, Texas; they go to Slidell or maybe Baton Rouge. The question is, is it my right as a Christian to help them or should I condemn them as a capitalist and say that they need jobs? What if there are no jobs? Obviously there are very few right now.

This is the problem I have with the "capitalist" stand on things. Capitalism is extremely short-sighted. Yes, money is great, but what happens when that money is swept away by an un-controllable force? Christianity is a way of life which explains that it is wrong to horde possessions, because there is a good chance you will lose them, and then you will become what you so hated. This hatred is what Jesus came to show us. He gave up his own life, something you obviously value over even money, to show that even the most important thing in your life can be taken away by an un-controllable force.

Let's say you lost your house to the hurricane and have no money because your assets were literally washed away. Don't give me this "I am prepaed for anything, blah blah" because I've heard it before and seen it fail. Since you told me that you pass up "bums" because they are too lazy to get jobs, what makes it any different that I see you as this bum and push you aside like yesterday's garbage? Had I stopped to help you, I would have realized that you are intelligent and know things I might not. I might even give you a job. You do not see the future when you look only for money, and this is what Jesus was trying to tell you. "Stop, help others, and in return, you will be helped." Of course it's hard, but making money or getting an education isn't usually easy is it?




In regards to your last paragraph, allow me to re-iterate something I stated earlier:

As a christian and business person, I believe strongly in helping your fellow man, but not support them. Myself and the company I work for have and do provide assistance to those in our community that have fallen on hard time, commonly through no fault of their own. I have helped people find jobs, helped them get to their jobs. Tutored highschool dropouts to help them get their GED, and even opened my house so that some of those that needed assistance had a place to stay while they got back on their feet. These persons are contributing members to society and our market system, no longer a 'freeloader'.

In the instance of Katrina, these are persons that do need assistance, and no, I do not feel they should be passed by. I have not ignored these persons, and niether should the rest of us.

People that now have nothing due to a catastophic natural disaster are not economic 'freeloaders'. These are not persons begging for handouts because they choose to disassociate themselve from the socio-economic culture of this nation. They are begging and asking for assistance as they have NOTHING else. The bum on the street corner and the marooned citizens of New Orleans are two completely different creatures that I do not combine. If my earlier statements made it sound as such, that was not my intent ad I do apologize for such.

I do not see capitalism as short-sighted. I do agree that there are a multitude of business professionals that do only look for the short term immediate gains. However various, businesses do look for the long term. One way is the educational benefits and reimbursements some companies pay out. However, in terms of capital appreciation, companies do tend to focus on the short and mid-term due to the pressures of their investors for large fast returns instead of steady long returns.