Reviewing Charities
This opinion piece defines gongos as government organized non-government organizations. The point the author is trying to make is that governments are attempting to influence other nations by clandestinely supporting non-government organizations. To rectify the problem the author advocates the development of a board that review and certify that NGO’s are in fact not controlled by a government.
This argument reminded me of previous discussions I’ve had with Darwin regarding charity. I have argued that most of our taxed money that goes to welfare programs should be returned to the taxpayer. The hope is that most taxpayers, knowing the government is no longer looking out for the poor well take a portion of their returned money and donate it to charities who will provide for the indigent. His response has been to argue that we can’t trust charities and that some might swindle money from the taxpayers.
In similar fashion to certifying NGOs I would favor some kind of board that would review charities. The board should not have the force of law, meaning that those charities that fail to meet certain criteria should not be forcibly shut down but rather are legally obligated to insure each prospective donor is aware of the board’s disapproval. I believe such a system would satisfy Darwin’s compliant of taxpayer money being swindled away while at the same time enable free markets pressure to find the most effective means for helping the less fortunate.