Wealthy people do not give away money for free. They want something in return. Power, influence, public office. Which often is used to help them make more money as they want to influence policies that impact their businesses. These rich people are described as being “effective altruists.I think “altruist” is incorrectly applied in that a…
Wealthy people do not give away money for free. They want something in return. Power, influence, public office. Which often is used to help them make more money as they want to influence policies that impact their businesses. These rich people are described as being “effective altruists.I think “altruist” is incorrectly applied in that altruism is the unselfish concern for others, often at the expense to one’s self. They might do some good things that do not immediately appear to benefit them, but they are playing a longer game than anyone realizes. By the time people realize what’s actually going on, damage has been done like closing mental hospitals in favor of nonexistent “community mental health centers.”
You wrote: "These rich people are described as being “effective altruists. I think “altruist” is incorrectly applied in that altruism is the unselfish concern for others, often at the expense to one’s self."
How on earth can one be "effective" in being unselfishly concerned for others? Those two words together don't even make sense. The only people I know who MIGHT fit this description are those who gather food and clothes and toys for the homeless or people who spend their free time working in soup kitchens or people who would "give the shirt off their backs" - those types. But BILLIONAIRES? Nah.
Wealthy people do not give away money for free. They want something in return. Power, influence, public office. Which often is used to help them make more money as they want to influence policies that impact their businesses. These rich people are described as being “effective altruists.I think “altruist” is incorrectly applied in that altruism is the unselfish concern for others, often at the expense to one’s self. They might do some good things that do not immediately appear to benefit them, but they are playing a longer game than anyone realizes. By the time people realize what’s actually going on, damage has been done like closing mental hospitals in favor of nonexistent “community mental health centers.”
You wrote: "These rich people are described as being “effective altruists. I think “altruist” is incorrectly applied in that altruism is the unselfish concern for others, often at the expense to one’s self."
How on earth can one be "effective" in being unselfishly concerned for others? Those two words together don't even make sense. The only people I know who MIGHT fit this description are those who gather food and clothes and toys for the homeless or people who spend their free time working in soup kitchens or people who would "give the shirt off their backs" - those types. But BILLIONAIRES? Nah.