Ep 189: Private Charity is Better than Government Welfare with Gerard Casey

In this episode I talk with Dr. Gerard Casey, professor emeritus at University College Dublin and associate scholar at the Mises Institute, about charity and welfare. Dr. Casey argues that a libertarian approach to charity, which is based on the principles of non-aggression and localism, are a more efficient method of providing for those in need than big-government redistributive programs. Besides relying on the use of violence against peaceful people, welfare programs have a costly bureaucracy, are not targeted to those who need it most, and enable degeneracy and generational poverty. Mutual aid and friendly societies, which are voluntarily funded, avoid the moral hazards inherent in socialized welfare. They provided for the needs of truly vulnerable people throughout history, and were wildly popular after industrialization until government programs crowded them out of the market. Politicians use these programs to buy votes regardless of the social and economic costs they impose upon the population. Casey argues that Christians should care about charity and that the only solutions are libertarian.

Additional Resources

• Gerard Casey on X: @Casey5122dark
• Let the Poor Starve: https://www.stephankinsella.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/casey-Let-the-Poor-Starve-rev.-June-2023.pdf