Eric Yost wrote: "That is one way of reading my argument, but it misses the point I introduced in an earlier post on the subject, namely that charities let the government off the hook ..." Nope. If we are using Lincoln's account of government, an account you introduced and one with which I am quite comfortable, then no such thing is possible. If government does what the people cannot, then charities, if they are doing what they claim to be doing, are the people doing what they can. If the people are doing what they can, then they are, by definition, not letting the government off the hook. Again, you cannot consistently hold both Lincoln's account of government and the concern about charities letting the government off the hook. Sincerely, Phil Enns Toronto, ON ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html