Government Grants?

When I glanced at my blog today I noticed that the advertisement said "Free Government Grants". I considered, in that moment, emailing Google to complain about the obvious disassociation from the nature of my content. Instead, I think I'll educate my readers (if there are any) on the reason I disagree with government grants. That's right, I don't want those people who want to start businesses getting grants from the U. S. Government.

First, however, I think it is appropriate to analyze loans as a whole. Loans, by nature, permit someone to borrow money they don't have but need or want. In exchange, the person recieving the money has to pay it back within a specified time period with interest (extra money for the person they borrowed it from based on how long before they paid it back). Loans are extremely easy to obtain for any individuals because that is how banks make money and banks need lots of money to cover the interest they pay their patrons. Isn't that a cool little system? All that started without any government intervention.

Now, grants are also given out by the free market. Don't believe me? Do a scholarship search on google. There are millions of scholarships in existence for college students, and many more grants and charitable organizations that pay cash. Grants, by definition, are money that is given out freely with no need to pay it back, and no interest.

Now what about those Federal Government Grants. Millions of these exist also. In fact, so many of these exist that the .gov websites don't even contain information on every one. But the free market does. As it should be obvious from that little web ad, somebody has collected a list and detailed information about every Federal Government Grant in existence. He then charges you a fee to use his search service and find a government grant that fits you, so that you can get this "money that is given out freely with no need to pay it back, and no interest". Sounds like a nice system right? WRONG!

In order to understand where I'm coming from, we have to return to our old lessons. First, where does the government get its money? From taxation. Who gets taxed? Everyone not in the U. S. Government (ironically enough). So the government gets its money from you. These grants come from you, WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. Heck, the government cares so little about getting your permission that you have to pay guys like the above ad just to see a few of the ones that are out there! We went over the separation of charities before. Here's an example of government charity. There are literally millions of charities in the U. S. Do we really need to add the federal government to that list? (don't let me forget to discuss dispersement of charitable funds, the major argument for Federal charity)

So, quite frankly, these grants are Theft. Moreover, if you remember from our much earlier lessons, they are not listed in the U. S. Constitution and are, therefore, breaking our social contract. Anyhow, I was just a little flustered by that. I bet this post will incite more government grant ads, and people searching for information on government grants might read it and learn a little. But that might be wishful thinking.

Sincerely,
Ted

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. – P.J. O'Rourke

I believe that every individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruits of his labor, so far as it in no way interferes with any other men's rights. – Abraham Lincoln