The Late Dr. Adrian Rogers on the Economy
I read this quotation yesterday on the air and I’ve had a few people ask about it. I received it by e-mail from Penna Dexter so I don’t know the original source, but It is right on the mark, so I’m happy to post it here:
You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 – 2005
Sphere: Related ContentTags: Economics
Dr. Creamer,
I thought you might be interested in this video http://www.americansolutions.com/SolutionTV/ Click on the latest video 9/27/2008. It’s a good look at what’s still going on in our economy.
This can be a simplistic quote – or if taken to another level – one that is part of the puzzle. When the ultra-greedy justify million dollar bonuses – doesn’t it create an atmosphere rife with justification? Wouldn’t there be less “poor” to support, if a merger of companies cost $1000 – instead of $100,000,000. The idea of keeping Government out of helping the poor only exists in those economic models that always begin with “ceteris paribus” where all things are equal, when in fact, Ultra-greedy antecedents have created an environment where Government is the only viable method for correction. We’ll see if there is a massive adjustment in Auto Industry wage and benefits, and if this adjustment spreads like an octopus beyond the immediate family, to medical, dental, lawyers, etc… “I’ve got to get mine – regardless of the effect on others”, may have peaked for a short time.
Bart,
I think your comment is intelligent. I would simply qualify it this way: The only positive contribution government can make is precisely to preserve equality. But that equality can only be equality of opportunity, never equality of distribution. Equality of opportunity can reduce to preventing non-economic attributes (of course, everything’s economic; but “economic” here means “market-driven”) from disqualifying or uniquely qualifying competitors in the marketplace. Interestingly, the government is itself a non-economic (not market driven) factor. If it becomes involved in anything more than preventing non-economic intrusions into market practices then it will create just as much trouble as it solves (or more).
Interesting quote for someone who never produced anything of value and lived in great splendor off the fruits of people who actually did productive work.
Simplistic truisms and superficial analysis.
Gustavo Gustavo Gustavo,
Either you never pastored, or you believe no doctor, psychologist, or teacher ever produced anything of value. Otherwise your observation is purely superficial.