I might delete this later, because it’s a difficult topic and tumblr doesn’t handle nuance well.
I don’t share donation posts. I used to. For years. On various platforms. And I believe in helping the person in front of you. And generally think practical aid is more important than philosophical idealism.
But increasingly I see our culture focus on needing a story to help people. It’s already human nature to prioritize those we relate with and the personal donation culture is really fanning the flames of that instinct. I don’t want it to become harder for unsympathetic people to get aid. I don’t want to increase the sense that we as individuals should stand in judgment of need, or that we’re entitled to hear personal stories of suffering before helping.
I also hate the extent to which donation posts put pressure on other poor people to solve the problem. I mean I absolutely love the number of people who want to help even though they don’t have much to share. But what I really want are organized social services, with resource allocations decided on by specialists who have a deep understanding of issues at play. I think we should believe people who say they need help, and they should get it without having to share personal problems with the public, and that their aid is a shared community responsibility.
I know wanting those things won’t make them happen, and that not providing alternatives won’t make them happen.
With research you can find great aid organizations that can do more good because they’ve focused on an issue and how to address it. And I think for now money is better spent there. You may not know the name of the person you help. But the help is just as important.
This is where I am right now. I may change my mind.
