(ThyBlackMan.com) “They try to solve the problem of poverty, for instance, by keeping the poor alive, or in the case of a very advanced school, by amusing the poor…The proper aim is to try and reconstruct society on such a basis that poverty will be impossible…Just as the worst slave owners were those who were kind to their slaves…people who do the most harm are people who try to do the most good…charity creates a multitude of sins.”
(Oscar Wilde)
“Even today, when philanthropy is considered an undeniable virtue, it is the virtue of a man who has taken so much that he can afford to give back in return.”
(Joel Kovel)
When speaking of philanthropy I am not referring to giving a homeless man a dollar on the street, which is more of a religious or moral guilt trip or a bribe to be left alone. The philanthropy I am referring to is the self-righteous spectacle, full of public praise and media coverage. One can never deny the comfort and relief acts of charity can give those desperately in need. Unfortunately, that is the extent to which charity can assist. Philanthropy provides provisions for the moment while the social constructs that are responsible for the population’s need for charity remain untouched. The philanthropist can never challenge nor criticize the system that has brought the wealth that he or she may use to exhibit the spirit of philanthropy.
Each year the wealthy of America gather and boast about the acts of 
kindness they have done for the less fortunate both in America and abroad. These black tie events, filled with drunkenness, boastfulness, and vain competition, are attended by wealthy people who are comfortably distanced from those they help. These philanthropists make sure their acts of kindness are well publicized in the media, guaranteeing the masses are aware of their good deeds. If one looks past the heartfelt speeches and expensive plates, one will recognize bullshit. These donations do nothing to reform the system that creates and perpetuates social inequalities that benefit the wealthy. Their donations only make the misery of the sufferers more bearable for a brief moment.
Please think twice when donating money or praising those who donate. Will these donations assist in the reformation of social structures that create the injustices or will it just provide Band-Aids? Philanthropy has the same characteristics as America’s current health care system, which only provides pain relief for illness, failing to prevent the causes for the sickness.
Poverty persists because it’s an integral part of capitalism, which needs the haves and have nots, the producer and the consumer, the capitalist, laborers, and disenfranchised. Most Americans born in the 1980s were exposed to the infomercial “Feed the Children.” However, these infomercials never explained why? Why are these people so poor without basic resources such as clean water, adequate food sources, basic shelter, access to livable wages, and basic medical care? That question would expose their exploitations by governments, which are responsible for their miserable conditions sufferers are forced to live, burdened by disenfranchisement and generational hopelessness.
Numerous charities have been accused of misappropriating donations meant for relief. The devastating earthquake that destroyed Haiti’s capital of Port Au Prince, is a good example of this. It is estimated Haiti relief funds received over $13 billion. Despite this immense charity, Haiti is still in shambles, the president’s palace is still in ruin, while Haitians suffer from malnutrition and cholera. What ever happened to the $13 billion allocated to help rebuild the infrastructure and economy of Haiti? Some critics claim the contributions never reached the Haitian shore while others blame the Haitian government for pilfering the donations leaving their people in misery.
As of July 2015, the two richest men in the world Bill Gates and Carlos Slim Helu have a combined net worth of 156.3 billion dollars. They both have non-profit foundations that help remedy social ills assisted by monetary donations. If they wanted to, with their social capital and individual wealth they could really change the world. They profess this spirit of virtue to hide their capitalistic spirit of greed and power. Why is a billionaire having a banquet to raise money for a cause he or is so passionate about?
Staff Writer; Linton Hinds Jr.
Official website; http://Livity.info/
