Charity and Greed

This is a topic that I spend a lot of time thinking about.  Its also a topic that most wish to spend as little time on as possible.

Due to the nature of one of my current jobs, I ask people to help make a donation to save those that are homeless.  I have heard just about every excuse of why a person is unable to donate with the most common ones being "I already did this week" and "Not today".  Obviously most of these people are lying.  But the reasons for this lying that is almost automatic in our capitalist driven economy run very deep and that is the point of this blog post.

Capitalism itself is an idea that the harder people work, the more they will gain.  Thus charity, which is seen as doing work for others, is seen as against the ideas of this economic policy.  We thus live in a society that is all about me, me and more me.  Helping others is a waste of time unless they can help us in return.  At least that is what Capitalism teaches.

But it goes even deeper.  Tell a wealthy individual or a true Capitalist to help the poor and they will accuse you of being a Socialist despite the fact that being wealthy and in power is one of the major requirements of being a socialist.  Most people don't know what the word means.  You may also be accused of being a Communist because to even comment that the poor should be helped by the more fortunate is a form of redistribution of wealth.  This of course is not the truth at all.

Sadly donating to charity seems to be a thing that only wealthy people are supposed to do, as said by a poor individual.  The wealthy will make the claim that everyone should donate.  The result is the same though.  In reality, both groups are just saying that everyone else should donate, but not them.  Their money is valuable and they worked hard for it.  How dare we suggest they give some of it away?

So instead of continuing on, I will suggest a solution.  Instead of waiting for someone else to do the right thing, be the one to make a difference.  I am talking to you, yes you!  If enough people defy the social norm of not helping others, it will not be long before the social norm IS helping others.  I am doing my part to help and I suggest if like me, you want the world to be a better place, it would be wise to do the same.