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This is a neat data visualization but ultimately unpersuasive. The idea is that I am much richer than someone earning $1.90/day (I am), and that in consequence

This is a neat data visualization but ultimately unpersuasive. The idea is that I am much richer than someone earning $1.90/day (I am), and that in consequence I should donate $5 of my money to help that poor person. But why ask me? Why not ask Elon Musk, the presented point of comparison, to donate $2,000,000, which as this site points out is worth less to him than $5 is to me? Not only would he be giving up less, he'd be helping 400,000x as many people as me. It genuinely sickens me that people let billionaires walk all over the rest of humanity like this. Musk and his ilk could single-handedly transform the economic prospects of whole communities in poor countries. I can't. So why am I the bad guy for not donating the $5 I want to spend on a coffee to get me through my workday?

stanmancan 4y ago
I can't remember where I read or listened to it, but apparently giving away money isn't really that easy. I mean, sure, you can just straight up give away cash to random people, but that's not really what we need. Finding trust worthy organizations that have a good mission, know what they're doing, and can efficiently distribute large sums of money without a significant portion of it going to "administration fees" is apparently rather difficult.
- archagon 4y ago
  Why is that not what we need?
felipemnoa 4y ago
>>Musk and his ilk could single-handedly transform the economic prospects of whole communities in poor countries So why can't governments do this? They own way more money than billionaires and it is theoretically their responsibility. Shouldn't your anger really be directed there? Musk is not really responsible for other people's well being.
foogazi 4y ago
> But why ask me? Why not ask Elon Musk Why not both ?
FredPret 4y ago
kortilla 4y ago
There are far more middle class people who might give up $5 than billionaires who might give up $2 million. The middle and upper middle class has far more spending power than billionaires. That’s why society generally revolves around catering to us instead of the rich (the most successful companies make products for regular people).

stanmancan 4y ago

I can't remember where I read or listened to it, but apparently giving away money isn't really that easy. I mean, sure, you can just straight up give away cash to random people, but that's not really what we need. Finding trust worthy organizations that have a good mission, know what they're doing, and can efficiently distribute large sums of money without a significant portion of it going to "administration fees" is apparently rather difficult.

archagon 4y ago
Why is that not what we need?

felipemnoa 4y ago

>>Musk and his ilk could single-handedly transform the economic prospects of whole communities in poor countries So why can't governments do this? They own way more money than billionaires and it is theoretically their responsibility. Shouldn't your anger really be directed there? Musk is not really responsible for other people's well being.

foogazi 4y ago

> But why ask me? Why not ask Elon Musk Why not both ?

FredPret 4y ago

kortilla 4y ago

There are far more middle class people who might give up $5 than billionaires who might give up $2 million. The middle and upper middle class has far more spending power than billionaires. That’s why society generally revolves around catering to us instead of the rich (the most successful companies make products for regular people).