Libertarian Fantasy Deflated

4:08 pm EST August 24th, 2006 | News | 9 Comments

Supposedly, we’re supposed to wait for the corporations to save us all – that’s the dream at least of libertarians. Reality is a different thing, however.

School children across the United States have raised more money for Katrina relief efforts than many major U.S. corporations, according to a non-profit group, RandomKid, which has tracked donations by children.

Over $10 million was raised by school kids through bake sales, lemonade stands, car washes and other fundraisers, according to RandomKid. That’s more than almost every major U.S. corporation gave. More than wealthy oil and petrochemical companies, such as Chevron and ConocoPhillips. It’s more than what AT&T and Verizon gave combined. And it’s more than major brand name corporations like GE and Coca-Cola gave.

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9 Responses to “Libertarian Fantasy Deflated”

  1. SaveFarris says:
    August 24, 2006 at 4:21 pm

    Liberal Fantasy Deflated: Wal*Mart was the biggest giver.

  2. z adura says:
    August 24, 2006 at 5:12 pm

    I am not quite sure where libertarians have claimed that corporations will save anybody or anything. Libertarians generally feel that it is up to the individual to save him or herself.

  3. Jay says:
    August 24, 2006 at 6:27 pm

    Leave it to Oliver to fall for this line of crap. The article in question discusses monies given directly for Katrina. What it does not do, is point out that most corporations donate through charities such as the Red Cross, which can disburse the money where it is needed.

    In that regard, the following corporations all donated MORE than $10 million to the Red Cross -

    Amazon.com
    Clearchannel
    Intel
    Microsoft
    Yahoo!

    Donated between $5 and $10 million:

    Boeing
    Cisco Systems
    GE
    Honda
    Saudi Refining
    Verizon

    There are a bunch of others that donated millions more. This of course does not include people who WORK for those corporations.

    The private sector raised over $3 billion for Katrina Relief efforts. Libertarians celebrate the efforts of the private sector and on this one, the private sector came through.

  4. Hollywood_Freaks says:
    August 24, 2006 at 7:44 pm

    What? Oliver, I like your site, but lately you haven’t been making any sense.

  5. factcheck says:
    August 24, 2006 at 8:52 pm

    Yea, I agree with z adura. The libertarian motto is “I’ve got mine, so f*ck you”.

  6. Jay says:
    August 24, 2006 at 10:24 pm

    Yea, I agree with z adura. The libertarian motto is “I’ve got mine, so f*ck you”.

    As opposed to the liberal motto which is, “F*ck you, I’m taking yours.”

  7. Mike says:
    August 24, 2006 at 11:23 pm

    Um, no, Jay, that’s the Republican motto, usually accompanied by an pompous and profoundly stupid look.

    Remember Mill’s aphorism: “By no means are all conservatives stupid, but most stupid people are conservative.” Most racists and haters too.

  8. Bill L. says:
    August 25, 2006 at 7:27 pm

    For those clowns that can’t be bothered to actually read the linked article, Walmart is one of 5 corporations named as having given more.

    How does listing a bunch of companies that donated 10 million or less disprove OW’s point?

    Did Amazon donate more than 10 million or did they simply channel private donations? Were those corporate donations specifically for Katrina or are they a lump sump total of all the charitable donations by a corporation for a particular period?

    How do the contributions of private citizens refute the idea that school children raised more money than many corporations?

    I’m not saying I totally agree with OW on this, as I don’t know all the stats, but many of the counter arguments presented are either uninformed or at least somewhat suspect.

    And how is New Orleans doing, btw? Maybe that’s the point of debating private donations vs a competent federal response (i.e. FEMA under Clinton before Bush cronied it to death).

  9. Chris says:
    August 29, 2006 at 10:37 am

    Libertarians are as distrustful of corporations as anyone else. However, what we fear more is over expansive government.

    The theory is that in absence of government power individuals will act in a more efficient, more direct manner. Sometimes those individuals will act through corporations, sometimes not – either way the result will far exceed anything that government can accomplish.