Standard of Living – Madison, Wisconsin

Here is a flyer for the Madison WI Healthcare Town Hall Meeting coming up on Aug. 26th:

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Click on picture above to read full details.

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Many people probably have already heard of Kiva, but I just found out about it.  Here’s the scoop:

• Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.
• Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.
• The people you see on Kiva’s site are real individuals in need of funding – not marketing material.
• Kiva partners with existing expert microfinance institutions.
• Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform.

Kiva is an excellent example of social cooperation absent government to reduce poverty.  Kiva is also an example of the fact that there is no such thing as fair trade or equal exchange.  When two people trade they both are better off than before trading.  With Kiva, you are trading a $25 loan to a poor entrepreneur overseas in exchange for the excellent feeling that comes from extending help to another individual in need.  They obviously benefit with access to the micro-loan.  I don’t want to make value judgments for others, but I am assuming that many people in Madison WI would find $25 to be an acceptable amount to exchange for the great feeling of helping others.

Perhaps if individuals fully understood that “fair trade” or “equal exchange” are economic fallacies, they would come to realize that charity and volunteering are extremely rewarding activities (for all participants)!  Maybe individuals would finally see that social cooperation through voluntary activity (absent government) is the best means to a truly wonderful society.

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