good causes
In 2006 I got caught up in congressional electionmania and made very large monetary contributions to DFA and several congressional candidates. I felt like I was going to vomit, but I did it anyway. What happens when I give money to a candidate? They give the money to some horrible media conglomerate that contributes to corporate ownership of an ever narrower popular culture. In return the candidate gets to run TV ads that simplify critical issues to the most childishly divisive levels, and as likely as not will play on people's worst instincts towards fear and hatred. If the ads work, then there is a chance that my candidate will get elected. If not, my money was a total waste. If so, then maybe there's a better candidate in office, or maybe they'll turn chicken or sell out, and be just like the Republican candidate would have.
Still, it was better than doing nothing. I did some phone banking for MoveOn, but as with my volunteer work in 2004, I was completely unconvinced that it helped -- I still think that they're testing tactics during relatively unpublicized elections, but deploying them in elections where the relevant voters have already been electioneered to death. So I gave money, and prayed that America wouldn't get any worse.
This year, I've received two charitable appeals that I didn't just throw away:
One is from Bikes not Bombs, the organization la_chispa works with. They have a very appealing pitch: we use your money to directly improve people's lives. It's spent locally, by people who know what they're doing, on wonderful things like bicycles, community centers, and classes where people learn to do things that are fun and useful. Most importantly, there's no winner-take-all bullshit; a dollar to BnB is a dollar that definitely does someone some good, as opposed to an election dollar, which essentially buys a lottery ticket.
The other is from DFA (Democracy for America, the Liberal / Democratic group that grew out of Howard Dean's campaign in 2004). The plan they're trying to sell me on is the antithesis of the miserable scenario I detailed above. They're raising money to train local politicians and active citizens in community organizing, and to teach new candidates the nuts and bolts of running a political campaign. It seems like their work might actually empower individuals and communities, and make a lasting change outside of this one election cycle.
I just wanted to think this through. Does anyone have any thoughts on these two organizations, or charitable contributions in general, or anything else?
Still, it was better than doing nothing. I did some phone banking for MoveOn, but as with my volunteer work in 2004, I was completely unconvinced that it helped -- I still think that they're testing tactics during relatively unpublicized elections, but deploying them in elections where the relevant voters have already been electioneered to death. So I gave money, and prayed that America wouldn't get any worse.
This year, I've received two charitable appeals that I didn't just throw away:
One is from Bikes not Bombs, the organization la_chispa works with. They have a very appealing pitch: we use your money to directly improve people's lives. It's spent locally, by people who know what they're doing, on wonderful things like bicycles, community centers, and classes where people learn to do things that are fun and useful. Most importantly, there's no winner-take-all bullshit; a dollar to BnB is a dollar that definitely does someone some good, as opposed to an election dollar, which essentially buys a lottery ticket.
The other is from DFA (Democracy for America, the Liberal / Democratic group that grew out of Howard Dean's campaign in 2004). The plan they're trying to sell me on is the antithesis of the miserable scenario I detailed above. They're raising money to train local politicians and active citizens in community organizing, and to teach new candidates the nuts and bolts of running a political campaign. It seems like their work might actually empower individuals and communities, and make a lasting change outside of this one election cycle.
I just wanted to think this through. Does anyone have any thoughts on these two organizations, or charitable contributions in general, or anything else?