Musings on Charity in the Wake of Disaster

[digitaldiscipline]

I think that making a donation to one of the myriad charities that exist to help victims of any dire circumstance (the tsunami, 9/11, hurricanes, what have you) is a personal decision, and everyone has their own constellation of factors that go into it (spiritual, moral, social, financial, etc). You'll notice I left state-mandated contributions, in the form of taxes, off that list.

Obviously, there are a lot of people who are willing and able to contribute to help deal with what happened. Not all who are willing are able; not all who are able are willing.

But I wonder if some of the donations are being done out of guilt or shame, rather than charity and goodwill. That doesn't lessen the effect of those dollars (or goods) for the recipients, but I certainly look at things differently when a plea is couched in the rhetoric of "You -should- do this" (whether or not a specific "... because _________" is appended, or simply implied).

I can't speak for anyone else, but I, personally, tend to buck the yoke of what someone else feels my social obligations and responsibilities ought to be. If I make the decision, for myself, to do something to help, I'll do it, and tell anyone who tries to stop me to go fuck themselves. But by the same token, if I'm disinclined to contribute, an ever-more-strident cacophony calling for my participation will only dissuade me further.

Bad things happen to people all the time; you can be a callous bastard and not care about any of them, or you can go insane trying to care about all of them. I don't understand justifications for what happens in between, but that doesn't mean that isn't where I fall.

Help if you wish.

[blame jabber's penchant for inciting discussion. :-)]

[ETA: Thanks to everyone for engaging in a really good, thoughtful discussion; my intent wasn't to single anyone out (honestly, I read everything y'all post, and know your intentions are for the best), but to present a different perspective and opinion on how some of the news and other expressions have made me think and feel.]

Comments

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

I think governments of rich countries (read: America) *should* be guilted & shamed into helping those in need, bec. that's usually the only thing that works to get them (read: us) to help. The public comment about "stingy" countries was accurate.

Also, this specific instance of the Asian earthquake/tsunamis is almost unprecedented in scale. IMO, it makes 9/11 look puny (not to mention the fact that most of those who died/suffered on 9/11 were incredibly wealthy compared to those effected around the Indian ocean). I'm not saying you should be guilted into giving to them, but I do think that the increased number of calls for help is warranted.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I knew I should have clarified that to indicate that I was talking about at an individual level (primarily).

Jabber (or someone on his journal yesterday) pointed out at the ludicrous inequity of spending $200 billion on the war in Iraq, and the relative pittance initially allocated to the disaster recovery effort ($15 million was the figure cited, I believe).

That's like spending a hundred grand on a home theater system, and then giving a dollar to the homeless guy on the corner for a pair of shoes.

I'm not going to say that the government's priorities aren't way the fuck out of whack, even if I supported the war.

[hel_ana]

Jabber (or someone on his journal yesterday) pointed out at the ludicrous inequity of spending $200 billion on the war in Iraq, and the relative pittance initially allocated to the disaster recovery effort ($15 million was the figure cited, I believe).

Well.. to be fair to the US government (which doesn't mean I *like* them, mind)..

it was $35million in immediately pledged aid, because that's what was immediately available in the U.S. Agency for International Development's emergency relief fund. In order to get more money, they have to go back to Congress.

[angel-renewed.livejournal.com]

I gotta agree with Trystan here. There really isn't a comparison that you can point to for the tsunami that hit this weekend, so comparing it to the usual heart-rending media ploys for sympathy/guilt really isn't apples to apples. This is one of the largest disasters in our lifetime. Can you fathom 100,000 people dead? That's a good size city. That's nearly 1/2 of St. Petersburg, for example. We of the first world *should* feel guilty if we sit on our duffs and do nothing. The media is in the right here, for once. Besides, guilt and humiliation are strong motivating factors that are ethically implemented in drastic times. I don't care what people's motivations are for giving, I only care that they do it.

Really, very few of us aren't *able* to help. A measly $10 goes a long way in SE Asia and means very little to us - maybe we don't get those extra drinks this weekend or whatever. I'm giving money because I've been to Thailand (though not Phuket) and as part of my interest in diving and marine life, I know a lot about places like the Maldives, the Nicobar Islands, and Sumatra. I know just how poor those folks are and I know my $50 will help them get back on their feet faster.

[hel_ana]

I'll be shocked if it's not considerably more than 100 000 people dead from the inital disaster, frankly.

The Toronto Sun this morning had a story about a Sri Lankan man in Toronto who lost at least 27 family members. His hometown has 50000 people in it, and they've been able to locate 16 thousand at this point. The 34000 left? No idea yet, but I'm not holding out much hope. And the official Sri Lankan death toll when I read that story was sitting at 23000, 10000 less than were missing from that one town.

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

you + jabber = cynicism x 10 ;)

(at least judging from posts on cyberpunk.)

happens i agree with you, though. it's hard to argue with anyone wanting to do good, but one hopes that there are deeper reasons than peer pressure.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Jab's a cynic when it comes to the stupid, but he's downright huggable compared to me on most social issues. ;-)

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

(trying this again, since part of my reply got eaten the first time i posted.)

heh.

still, your point is well-taken. there's no way to know what someone's personal financial situation is. getting the information out there is great, but on an individual level, you can't tell what someone's circumstances or financial obligations (medical, dependents, etc.) are by the GNP of the country they live in.

i donated, but i don't have expectations for other people. it's an individual decision.

[thefeline.livejournal.com]

Who you decide to donate or not donate to is indeed your business. I, myself, decided to share the information as not everyone was aware of other sites regarding donations.

If I'm not mistaken...I made a similar post on restaurants that were contributing to another charity this Spring. These are things I wouldn't have realized myself had someone not made me aware of them. Will I make posts like that in the future? More than likely. However, that being said...realize that I am not telling anyone how to spend their money or who to care about..etc... I am merely informing them and letting them know my opinion on things. I've cut my previous post after realizing how long it was..yikes...didn't realize it went on that long!

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I'm all for informational awareness; you posted a couple links I hadn't seen previously (or had missed elsewhere).

An informed customer makes a better purchase; I really believe in comparison-shopping among charitable institutions for the one that you feel will make the best use of your donation, on all levels.

[marchenland.livejournal.com]

I contribute because... I don't now why. Because I was taught to, basically. Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders are getting the sum total of my "Christmas Bonus" this year. I wish, for this once, that I still worked for my old company, where the bonus was literally 10 times as big as it is at my current company.

Giving money to charity is, in my experience, a good way to recognize what I really have. Giving up that latte every morning, or that new pair of boots I wanted, or whatever it is I'm "giving up" to donate something, reminds me of what it's like to be really in dire circumstances -- if I was having to give up dinner every night so my child could eat, or having to give away every possession I had to escape a tidal wave. As an object lesson, it falls well short. I don't believe in karma or fortune. I just hope that if I ever have the tables turned, someone will make sure I have drinking water and cholera treatment. I don't care if others give or not; I'm not tat big a giver, compared to people who made half as much as me and left fortunes to universities and such. I wish I knew how that was done, but I just don't. So, I suck, and I know it. I don't have the time or energy to look at how much or little other people are giving.

Besides, when Florida is sacked by the Big One, I'll donate to that effort, too. ;)

[hel_ana]

I think another factor that people (in general) need to remember is that none of us really know what each other's situations actually are, so the only person we really can really point to and say "give" is ourselves..

As my priest said last weekend when the bloodmobile was at our church "give if you can, and don't assume that people around you will, because some of them can't".

Some people can't give, and we may think we know that "Rafe can afford to, why isn't he?" but, hey, none of us are actually looking at Rafe's bank balance.

So I encourage people to give responsibly, if they're going to give.

[jruske.livejournal.com]

I'll do it, and tell anyone who tries to stop me to go fuck themselves. But by the same token, if I'm disinclined to contribute, an ever-more-strident cacophony calling for my participation will only dissuade me further.

Agreed.

And annoy me.

And build up resentment.

[ivy]

See, I think the "strident" is the problem. I have no issues with a polite "you might want to consider, if you can" request. The "GODDAMNIT YOU FUCKER YOU OWE ME" approach, on the other hand, is likely to do more harm than good.

That said -- wow, etcet, I think you are more of a libertarian than me. I do think that in some cases it's okay to browbeat or guilt the haves into helping the have-nots. Of course, that depends on a myriad of complex socioeconomic factors that are not reducable to a simple rule.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I am a libertarian (and a randian, go fig). But it's amazing to finally find out I'm more something than you that doesn't involve my penchant for messing around with a screwdriver or having a penis. *laugh*

[kungfugimp.livejournal.com]

I'm all for contributing if you want to contribute - if someone thinks they're going to guilt me into giving - F them with a capital F.


On an aside note - it's always interesting to see how the news media, the american government and the american people react to such situations. Office cooler fodder had talks of "what if that happened here? We'd be screwed"

No, not in the same way with those casulties. Ahem - 4 hurricans in a few short months anyone? But not to digress in nature's catastrophies, how long with the average american attention span keep tuned to India and Sri Lanka once the New Year starts?

[ivy]

Wow. That makes you the first Randian I've ever found to be non-obnoxious. [grin] Good thing it was yeeeears into our friendship before I found this out. Hee. I am now fascinated, and want to sit down and pick your brain over Objectivist philosophy sometime. Next time we're in the same city (come visit Vancouver!), what say we have a salon lunch?

My *ahem* contribution, as it were

[ex-xn667.livejournal.com]

Agreed on all points, utterly. By the same token, a certain self-serving approach of my own dictates that there should be a concerted effort here in the states to come up with more than the relative pittance being extended by our government? Why? Because whether or not we should or should not have gone to war, the fact remains that we blew most of our international good will a la 9/11.

When California slips into the Pacific, or a big chunk of a heavily populated area of Hawaii does a long run-off landslide to the bottom of the ocean, or our food supply gets hit with some mutated plant disease, or we get an especially nasty variant of bird flu from coast to coast, I just don't want to think that the global response will be, "Oh yeah, we'll help. Like you helped everyone else." We may be the most generous in terms of actual dollars, but in terms of % of GDP, we stink. It's very much like the person with the $100k home theatre giving a buck to a homeless guy, as noted above.

Will I personally be giving? Not yet. I've got more red in my checkbook than in my veins at the moment. Will I give later? Maybe. Like all of us, I reserve the right to make this sacrifice or the other.

And yes, I do think that reflects badly on me, both individually, and as an American.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

I'm understanding you completely. I'd even go a hell of a lot further down that road, even if I possibly end up in a different place.

[anarcha.livejournal.com]

"Bad things happen to people all the time; you can be a callous bastard and not care about any of them, or you can go insane trying to care about all of them. I don't understand justifications for what happens in between, but that doesn't mean that isn't where I fall.

Help if you wish."

I actually really agree with this. That's why I tried for a tone of "this is my reasoning for giving," rather than "this is why you should donate" in my post [Perhaps I failed at this tone].

But yes, no one should feel pressured to donate. And the truth is, there's a million crises everyday, and I continue to buy myself DVDs and candy bars.

I did my own personal calculation, and decided to contribute. But my personal calculation is no more or less legitimate than anyone else's. And I do believe that my responsibility is first and foremost for my own happiness.

Also, on a cynical note, I wonder what the relationship is between the appearance of caucasian/western faces in the reports of these tragedies, and donations (both public and private) from western countries.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Also, on a cynical note, I wonder what the relationship is between the appearance of caucasian/western faces in the reports of these tragedies, and donations (both public and private) from western countries.

"Death toll estimated 100,000 -- Dozens of Americans missing"

[etcet.livejournal.com]

"100,000 Dead -- Dozens of Americans Missing (the point)"

[geekers.livejournal.com]

Haa! EXACTLY!

You'll note I don't even post on things such as celebrity deaths, natural disasters etc. I become disenchanted and uninterested in these things. So many people (LJers especially) are blind copy & pasters (both of ideas/mindsets if not actual posts). I think about things a bit, and most of the time I come to the conclusion that those thoughts don't warrent posting. If other people want to personally reflect on things, they will do so... others will blindly follow the thoughts of others as they wish. Quite rarely it is that people *really* wanting to embark in discussion wherein opinions are shared and minds are changed in regard to issues such as these... and doing so on such a grand scale as LJ only proliferate the opportunity for flames.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

You've gotten my point exactly. Everyone can look at their situation and decide what's right by them, not blindly give (or refrain).

[webmd.livejournal.com]

This is not like the normal "Feed the starving children." What has happened in Asia is anything but normal. Are people not supposed to spread the word about where to contribute because of a few rebellious, selfish pricks? If you don't feel like giving, don't give. People posting complaints about being asked to give obviously feel some amount of guilt, or they wouldn't be posting on their journal in search of people who agree with them.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I don't disagree, this =is= an unusual situation.

I think that informing people about where and how they can donate, should they so choose, is the right thing to do.

However, it's the implied shame on those people who choose not to (or are unable to), both internationally and inter-personally, that gets up my nose. But, to my knowledge, nobody's called or emailed me saying, "Give money/goods/etc to help or you suck." (for which I'm glad; there are a litany of better reasons to tell me I suck. ;-)

After a particularly lean "holiday season," where I wasn't able to give much (if at all) to those I know and love, the unspoken demand that money be conjured for strangers isn't going to be taken well.

People give money to charities in December who would never think to in May; why? Because it's expected of them, not because they're innately charitable people. Call me a cynic sometimes.

[webmd.livejournal.com]

I didn't have much money to give presents this year either. It was a major stress on me. I'm stressing about money all the time. But watching those images on TV, I realized how much I have, even if I think I have nothing. (And I'm certainly not innately charitable. I never give to bums on the subway!) But this is different to me. I don't think it has anything to do with the holidays. If anything this is the worst possible time to be soliciting donations.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

*nods*

It's not the same nuance, being made to feel "bad" for not being an uber-consumer, as it is to be reluctant with charity; but there seems to be something of a "Keeping up with the Jonses" aspect to some of the donation pleas that turns charity into a status symbol.

It reminds me unpleasantly of this:
"I'm a thousand times more humble than thou art." - Weird Al Yankovic, Amish Paradise

Leave it to modern society to soil something that's not innately fucked up (my problems with the bureaucracy of charitable institutions is a whole different matter).

[webmd.livejournal.com]

my problems with the bureaucracy of charitable institutions is a whole different matter

I can certainly agree with that. I would have much preferred to actually send over some bottled water, blankets and canned goods. That way you know exactly what your donation will be used for. Giving money into some massive account, you can only hope it will be used for what you're intending.