I think the correct steelmanning of dotsam’s point is:
1. As a member of <group>, I have a great deal of privilege. 2. In order to remove this privilege, we need sweeping societal changes that upend the current power structures. 3. EA does not focus on upending current power structures in a radical way. 4. EA makes me feel less guilty about my privilege despire this. 5. Therefore, EA allows me to maintain my privilege by relieving my guilt by taking actions that doesn’t actually require overthrowing current power structures, i.e, the actions that would affect me personally the most.
Under this set of assumptions, most people find ways to maintain their privilege not by actively reinforcing power structures, but by avoiding the moral imperative to overthrow them. EA’s are at least slightly more principled, because their price for this is something like “Donate 10% of your income” instead of “Attend a protest”, “Sign a petition”, or “Decide that you’re inherently worthy of what you have and privilege doesn’t exist.”
Personally, I don’t agree with this chain of logic because I disagree with Point 2 above, but I think the chain of logic holds if you agree with points 1 and 2. (And I suppose you also need to add the assumptions that one can tractably work on upending these power structures, and that doing so won’t cause more harm than good.)
I think the correct steelmanning of dotsam’s point is:
1. As a member of <group>, I have a great deal of privilege.
2. In order to remove this privilege, we need sweeping societal changes that upend the current power structures.
3. EA does not focus on upending current power structures in a radical way.
4. EA makes me feel less guilty about my privilege despire this.
5. Therefore, EA allows me to maintain my privilege by relieving my guilt by taking actions that doesn’t actually require overthrowing current power structures, i.e, the actions that would affect me personally the most.
Under this set of assumptions, most people find ways to maintain their privilege not by actively reinforcing power structures, but by avoiding the moral imperative to overthrow them. EA’s are at least slightly more principled, because their price for this is something like “Donate 10% of your income” instead of “Attend a protest”, “Sign a petition”, or “Decide that you’re inherently worthy of what you have and privilege doesn’t exist.”
Personally, I don’t agree with this chain of logic because I disagree with Point 2 above, but I think the chain of logic holds if you agree with points 1 and 2. (And I suppose you also need to add the assumptions that one can tractably work on upending these power structures, and that doing so won’t cause more harm than good.)