Ayn Rand Institute's Suggested Aid Pledge: Zero

The next time your favorite compassionate conservative mentions Ayn Rand with an admiring sigh, point them to the Ayn Rand Institute's website. David Holcberg, a "research associate" at this Institute, has an essay on the site saying that the United States government should give nothing to help survivors of the tsunami. If private individuals want to send donations, that's their business. Indeed, such private charity "may be entirely proper, especially considering that most of those affected by this tragedy are suffering through no fault of their own." [MOST?!]

But put the ix-nay on the overnment-gay.

Thanks to Josh Marshall over at Talking Points Memo for picking up on this tidbit. I didn't see the item on any of the other blogs I read regularly.