Metsfanmax wrote:As I said, I think the moral argument is clear for helping people in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. If you want to help both groups, good for you. But I can't help feeling that someone in Africa should not get less of my money than someone in America just because they didn't have the fortune of being born in the USA.
I don't disagree with that.
Metsfanmax wrote:I said that I do give money to people in need in Africa; I just said that the area I donate my money to is not the cause of eradicating world hunger, per se, but saving lives against disease and other harmful effects. Giving food aid is generally thought to be a bad idea; it does not give developing villages any ability to become self-sustaining. Therefore it is generally accepted wisdom that the best way to help is either through donations to help people reduce poverty, or through aid that helps communities build sustainable crop growing, etc. The Millennium Villages Project is attempting to do just this on a large scale in Africa. Microloans are also one of the big ways people contribute nowadays, and this can indirectly help with the world hunger problem, too.
I think it would be a great thing if people joined me in doing so. You don't have to pick the same cause as me; there's many areas people can help. I'm happy to give advice or ideas if people do want to help but don't know where to start.
I'll take a look and make a decision.
Metsfanmax wrote:Say what you will about Warren Buffett; the man pledged over $30 billion to charitable causes. If every person had the investment skill he did, and then used their incredible earnings to combat world poverty, we'd end this problem in no time.
I don't like being told I'm rich by someone who has thousands of times the net worth that I do. I don't like being told I need to "pay my fair share" by someone like that either. If Warren Buffett put himself into a position where he was in the middle class, I would be more likely to take him seriously. His pledging $30 billion to charitable causes (whatever that means) does not sway to support paying more tax dollars while I do my tax return from the comfort of my $200 couch in my small two-bedroom townhouse.