Helping homeowners, not Indians

One group is part of mainstream society, the other isn't. One group gets bailed out, the other doesn't.

Calls grow for U.S. to bail out homeowners, prevent foreclosures

Proposals gain traction in Congress as the housing crisis roils the economy.From Wall Street to Capitol Hill, calls are growing for the government to get into the mortgage business as the only way out of the housing crisis roiling the economy and the financial markets.

Proposals to shore up tottering home loans with taxpayer money are gaining traction in Congress and moving to the forefront of presidential politics.And:Democratic contender Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton cited that action this week in calling for a new initiative to provide $30 billion to help homeowners.

"If we can extend a $30-billion lifeline to avoid a crisis for Wall Street banks, we should extend at least $30 billion in immediate assistance to at-risk communities and families facing foreclosure," Clinton's campaign said in a statement.Comment:  A slight modification of Clinton's statement:

"If we can extend a $30-billion lifeline to avoid a crisis for Wall Street banks, or give away $30 billion in tax cuts to the rich, or throw away $30 billion every three months in Iraq, then we should extend at least $30 billion in immediate assistance to at-risk Indian communities and families whether they're facing foreclosure or some other financial hardship."

This news item suggests why I laugh whenever conservatives complain that Indians get welfare or the reservation system is a "failed experiment in socialism" (James Watt). If non-Indians are suffering economic hardship, they expect and demand the same kind of "handouts." And politicians rush to help them.

There's no difference between bailing out struggling non-Indians and struggling Indians. Oh, wait...there's one difference. We actually owe Indians government support because of the treaties they signed. We don't owe welfare-seeking non-Indians anything. Not legally, anyway.

For more on the subject, see The Myth of American Self-Reliance.