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When someone gets older and starts staring death in the face they start thinking about their legacy. “What is the world going to remember me for?” This is when

When someone gets older and starts staring death in the face they start thinking about their legacy. “What is the world going to remember me for?” This is when the real philanthropy starts. In addition to buildings, charity, endowed academic chairs, etc. I think buying and donating land would be a great thing to do. If I had N millions to donate then buying a city block, turning it into a park, and putting my name on the gate would be a pretty nice way to be remembered.

tonyedgecombe 7y ago
Except it never happens at any reasonable scale. It just seems like an excuse not to do what is needed.
- bilbo0s 7y ago
  That's the question though right? Is philanthropy the reason the state does not do what's needed? Or is the state not doing what's needed the reason for philanthropy? Or perhaps it's both? In any case we can't really figure out how to get to a game theoretic local optimum of maximum state participation and maximum philanthropy, until we can dig into the real reasons a lot of these things are and are not done.
  - tonyedgecombe 7y ago
    Or perhaps it’s neither? It seems obvious the state doesn’t do enough when you have a government that doesn’t believe in the state doing anything but the barest minimum that will get them elected. On the scale of government spending philanthropy barely registers, it’s only raised as an issue in an attempt to distract from the real question.
malandrew 7y ago
That works until social mores change and then some comment of action acceptable in your day becomes a controversy and they strip your name off your legacy. Whenever you donate something now, make sure you have an ironclad agreement that prevents your name from ever being removed.
prepend 7y ago
I’ve thought about this a bit since I love urban green spaces. I don’t have N millions to give so it’s not a practical problem that I need to immediately solve, but what aim currently stuck on is if I bought up any block that’s currently a skyscraper and turned it into a garden, it would fill with homeless people very quickly. My city hasn’t figured out homeless people yet so most urban parks have people sleeping on benches. The thing I liked about donating a park is the idea of people sitting on benches, reading a book, relaxing, dreaming of nature. Having my name over a park that is an adult nap zone for drunk people isn’t something I’m too interested in.

tonyedgecombe 7y ago

Except it never happens at any reasonable scale. It just seems like an excuse not to do what is needed.

bilbo0s 7y ago
That's the question though right? Is philanthropy the reason the state does not do what's needed? Or is the state not doing what's needed the reason for philanthropy? Or perhaps it's both? In any case we can't really figure out how to get to a game theoretic local optimum of maximum state participation and maximum philanthropy, until we can dig into the real reasons a lot of these things are and are not done.
- tonyedgecombe 7y ago
  Or perhaps it’s neither? It seems obvious the state doesn’t do enough when you have a government that doesn’t believe in the state doing anything but the barest minimum that will get them elected. On the scale of government spending philanthropy barely registers, it’s only raised as an issue in an attempt to distract from the real question.

malandrew 7y ago

That works until social mores change and then some comment of action acceptable in your day becomes a controversy and they strip your name off your legacy. Whenever you donate something now, make sure you have an ironclad agreement that prevents your name from ever being removed.

prepend 7y ago

I’ve thought about this a bit since I love urban green spaces. I don’t have N millions to give so it’s not a practical problem that I need to immediately solve, but what aim currently stuck on is if I bought up any block that’s currently a skyscraper and turned it into a garden, it would fill with homeless people very quickly. My city hasn’t figured out homeless people yet so most urban parks have people sleeping on benches. The thing I liked about donating a park is the idea of people sitting on benches, reading a book, relaxing, dreaming of nature. Having my name over a park that is an adult nap zone for drunk people isn’t something I’m too interested in.