So I've just heard about GiveDirectly. I've never given anything regular or substantial to any charity before in my life, but this one has convinced me. I'm a big proponent of the UBI, so that's probably the main reason why, but it is also rated very highly as an effective charity.
Given how diverse the political opinions are on this board, I'd love to know what you guys think of the concept.
I think charities are ass and wouldn't support any of them.
Worthless. A bandaid on a cancer patient.
Good for them as individuals and good for you to feel better about yourself. But it does not alter any of the structural causes of Africa's poverty.
Are there any charities that do?
Short of funding socialist insurrection, no.
This.
Also UBI sucks ass, as it will also not change any of the structural problems in capitalism.
You should read more. The problems with these "solutions" will become more clear.
No.
Doctors Without Borders is good. They're a coop so no big CEO leaches taking donation money, they're anti-imperialists and frequently call out the West and Russia for war crimes, they run research on diseases that pharma companies in the West don't since they're unprofitable to cure, etc…
Obviously charity isn't a total solution to these problems but I'd rather something than nothing at all.
You can't just tell someone to "read more". Give me some suggestions.
congrats, you're a liberal lifestylist
read a book or get out
why don't you go buy something fancy and reduce the Socially Necessary Labour Time instead?
...
Chomsky pls go.
I don't buy fancy things
Again, suggest a book and I'll read it. I'm certainly not a liberal.
Uganda is a playground for radical American evangelicals.
Any "charity organisation" involved in Uganda (and Haiti, while we are at it) should be background checked a hundred-thousand times, before you donate serious money to it.
Yeah, I'm saying you should.
why are you advocating pointless consumerism?
Because the bourgeosie needs that money more than you do.
Want to become a socdem? Read the secret history of Capitalism by ha joon Chang
Want to become a market soc? Read Richard Wolff's democracy at work
Want to become a Marxist? Read Michael Roberts the long depression
What would happen if I read all three?
I said it could help them individually, did I not? Feel free to pass them some cash if you like, just don't delude yourself into thinking it will help to end poverty in Africa.
You get autism.
You'd realize you should have been reading Das Kapital all this time instead.
I don't think anybody feels that way about their charitable donations, do they? People don't donate to end poverty, they do it to help individuals less fortunate than themselves.
Not that that detracts from your point at all.
I actually heard a radio program / commercial for this particular form of charity the other day and they framed it in such a way that it implied that it would legitimately help to solve the poverty in Africa through demand-side economics.
Some asshole I know likes to defend the porky by saying "user, they give MILLIONS of dollars to charity to help the poor, they're the opposite of selfish, plus they worked hard to get where they're at, why hate on them?"
What's an effective rebuttal I can give to that shit?
ask what their employees think of them
They're the ones sustaining the system that causes there to be poor people in the first place. Why don't they share their property with all society so everyone can live a good life instead of a tiny elite being ultra-rich whilst others live in destitute poverty?
Also, half their "charity" is just tax evasion.
You have to take with one hand to give with the other. The only reason that they have millions spare to give away is because they expropriated that value from their work force (or possibly via rentseeking).
Charities are bourgeois indulgences, and this one screams scam.
1. I talk to the five people on the tracks since we're all within earshot of each other, we have eternity, and pulling a lever only takes a second. If they can come to an agreement then I go with that.
2. I attempt to find resources I can use within the distance I can move from the lever while still being able to get back and pull it in time. Specifically I try to find something I can use to help free the people on the tracks. Given infinite time, I also attempt to train myself so I can sprint to and from the tied up people to deposit any sharp objects.
3. I attempt to switch the tracks while the trolley is on the split so that maybe it will derail or at least get stuck.
Charity is liberal nonsense. Do you realize how many billions of dollars have been thrown to countries in Africa? Most areas are still a shithole. I'll leave Africa to sort out their own problems. Charity is chauvinistic.