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In my country a plurality of our citizens voluntarily and enthusiastically contribute to a state-sponsored humanitarian charity in which they all flush a billio
by ChainOfFools 3y ago
In my country a plurality of our citizens voluntarily and enthusiastically contribute to a state-sponsored humanitarian charity in which they all flush a billion post-tax philanthropic dollars down the toilet about once every 3-5 weeks, by handing it over to a random nobody who promptly disappears from the face of the Earth along with the rest of their family, and the process starts all over again.
The name of this bizarre giving tradition is called The National lottery, and we actually have several going at once in case anyone feels they aren't being generous enough.
We _can_ have nice things, but most of us want this instead.
- Sebb767 3y agoPeople playing the lottery aren't donating money, they are buying the mental image of winning it - just listen to them daydreaming about what they will buy and how they split the money. They might also, with a minuscule chance, have an immediate positive effect on their life via an enormous influx of money to their bank account [0]. This is not at all comparable to donating to science, where the positive effects for oneself are years away, if they materialize at all. It's a completely different mindset. If you can't comprehend this, think about how older people talk about you wasting money on video games with virtual items that are, theoretically, instantly replicated at no cost. Looks stupid on paper, too, but how it makes you feel is why you spend the money. [0] I know that winning the lottery has been bad luck for a lot of people, but people playing the lottery either don't think that far or have "solid" plans for avoiding this fate.
- lacrimacida 3y agoPeople playing the lottery love having a chance (in a billion) to escaping poverty. They buy hope.