As Poverty Grows, Giving for The Poor Declines

Per the Chronicle on Philanthropy, citing the New York Times, as poverty deepens, giving for the poor declines.

Philanthropy has been “silent about the depths of the problems of homelessness, joblessness, foreclosure, hunger,” says Emmett D. Carson, chief executive of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. “People are starting to believe that philanthropy is irrelevant to the core needs of their communities."

I know and respect an ex-Jesuit, now a professor of sociology, and expert in philanthropy who cautions advisors that we must not "scold" donors. We must elicit their values and go by that. He also says people give to people and causes with whom they identify. I agree that it is always best to serve, not scold the wealth holder. I find that pet shelters, arts organizations, and hobby projects go over better than helping the stinking poor. Monied people identify with pets, nature, the arts, elite schools. Of course they give to what they know, and love and want to preserve for themselves and their heirs. For the poor, we have to begin with the end in mind and work backward. Let's face facts. The poor, formerly middle-class included, will die in the streets as wealth rises to the pinnacle, and the top four hundred dynastic families increase their percentage ownership of the US from 50% to, say, 75% over the next ten years or so. (Money doubles every 10 years at 7 percent, if you have money). As long as more and more of our fellow Americans will starve anyway, why not expedite the process rather than prolonging the agony? We should not hold out false hope to losers. Everything happens for a reason. Life is good. Markets are fair. Justice is done, as Candide noted and Candidia concurs. It is, as Alexander Pope noted, the best of all possible worlds. The stench of carcasses in the streets is a necessary evil, though it could be minimized by criminalizing poverty, and shipping the poor offshore, in big rusty boats, say, some of which might sink, if you get my meaning, Sire.

 

Comments

[Mazarine]

Wow Phil.

Sometimes your posts are like short, sharp buckets of cold water to the face.

Can nothing be done?

Mazarine
http://wildwomanfundraising.com

[Phil Cubeta]

Move to a gated community, and hire armed guards.

[Mazarine]

Hunter Thompson called us "the Generation of Swine", among other things...

“We have become a Nazi monster in the eyes of the world-a nation of bullies and bastards who would rather kill than live peacefully. We are not just Whores for power and oil, but killer Whores with hate and fear in our hearts. We are human scum and that is how history will remember us.” (Hunter S. Thompson)

[Phil Cubeta]

I don't recall seeing Hunter on Fox News.

[Jon Husband]

"They" (Fox) asked him to appear, he realized what that meant (historically), and turned then down in a very dramatic fashion. He had already seen what was coming.

[penilestater]

Fuck caring for the poor. That is just a ploy to fund foundations and sell ads in the Times at xmas. If you do not first philanthropize with a hammer, you are no lover of mankind.