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But a system of philanthropy is inherently biased insofar as since donors can and do choose charitable causes that match their own preferences. Taxation is nece
by qubex 8y ago
But a system of philanthropy is inherently biased insofar as since donors can and do choose charitable causes that match their own preferences. Taxation is necessary (also) to redistribute from taxpayers to reciprients in an (ideally) unbiased and (in the real world) somewhat tempered by democratic representatives.
That’s part of the reason why American and increasingly European politics have become so factious.
- CharlesColeman 8y ago> But a system of philanthropy is inherently biased insofar as since donors can and do choose charitable causes that match their own preferences. Anand Giridharadas goes pretty deeply into that idea in this talk that he did at Google. I highly recommend watching it, I thought it was elucidating. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_zt3kGW1NM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_zt3kGW1NM I want to read his book "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World" but I haven't gotten to it yet.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- tathougies 8y agoYou're not wrong, but I'm trying hard to place this comment. The commenter you responded to said nothing about philanthropy. In fact, some interpretations of 'live and let live' would explicitly bar philanthropy.
- qubex 8y agoThe OP mentioned his giving to his community on a voluntary basis. That sounded like an operative description of philanthropy so I used that term.
- agency 8y agoThe GP said "I also regularly give to my community, by choice."
- qubex 8y agoYup.
- tathougies 8y agoYes, you're right. I see how you could interpret that as philanthropy.
- dfilppi 8y agoOf course there is the fine point that taxation is not voluntary, and that 'ideally' means 'never happens'. The presumption that the government will be 'more ideal' than a philanthropist is silly.
- qubex 8y agoUhm... I think you misunderstood me. Ideally cynically meant ‘never’ and “at least tempered by democratic representatives” was the most neutral but compact phrase I could come up with to describe what apparently happens when averaged across the parliamentary democracies of the world. As for taxation not being voluntary, I never said it is. Nor should it be. Which billionaire would take on the cause of fixing potholes?
- deogeo 8y ago> But a system of philanthropy is inherently biased More importantly, philanthropy suffers from the tragedy of the commons. It's in everyone's interest to act selfishly, and those who do not are put at a disadvantage and will be outcompeted.