> If people are still getting caught in this trap, though, I'd be interested to see more? (And potentially write more on why it's not a good application of EA thinking.)
A big problem for me is that the various huge income differences exist in large part due to systemic violence. A factory worker makes $N, a software developer makes $50N supporting ads selling the factory's product, and the profits are largely captured by the super rich making $100000N. Violence -- colonialism, authoritarianism, wage slavery, nationalism and so on -- is required to make this happen and keep it going.
I'm not involved with "effective altruism" as a movement, only as the general concept of giving money in a numerically effective way. So numerically the situation is that for every $1 a high income person in a developed country considers donating, they may have done more than $1 in damage to get it; or some part of that $1 was earned through some absolutely evil means; or both. This depends on the job but once you reach the bar of, let's say twice the U.S. personal median income, it's virtually certain. So there is no way to reach ethical parity: it would be digging your way out of a hole.
Existing people need to eat and live so they must participate in the system as best they can. But once the essentials are gotten along with some small treats like ice cream, things become much more difficult ethically. The extra money is blood money, and what can a person do with that?
This feels like a pretty standard critique though I don't know if it counts as a "misery trap" if that is a technical term. I'm sure it's been discussed before and would be interested in knowing how "EA" people resolve it.
A big problem for me is that the various huge income differences exist in large part due to systemic violence. A factory worker makes $N, a software developer makes $50N supporting ads selling the factory's product, and the profits are largely captured by the super rich making $100000N. Violence -- colonialism, authoritarianism, wage slavery, nationalism and so on -- is required to make this happen and keep it going.
I'm not involved with "effective altruism" as a movement, only as the general concept of giving money in a numerically effective way. So numerically the situation is that for every $1 a high income person in a developed country considers donating, they may have done more than $1 in damage to get it; or some part of that $1 was earned through some absolutely evil means; or both. This depends on the job but once you reach the bar of, let's say twice the U.S. personal median income, it's virtually certain. So there is no way to reach ethical parity: it would be digging your way out of a hole.
Existing people need to eat and live so they must participate in the system as best they can. But once the essentials are gotten along with some small treats like ice cream, things become much more difficult ethically. The extra money is blood money, and what can a person do with that?
This feels like a pretty standard critique though I don't know if it counts as a "misery trap" if that is a technical term. I'm sure it's been discussed before and would be interested in knowing how "EA" people resolve it.