The implication of this seems to be that everyone, and not just EAs, who is aiming to do good with their resources should donate only to their own government. Their govt could then decide how to spend the money democratically. Is that implication embraced? This would eg include all climate philanthropy, which is now at $5-9bn per year.
As always, I don’t think this implication is necessarily bad. Individual philanthropy is not sustainable, undemocratic, and indeed might do more harm than good in that, in public perception, it takes the weight off the government’s shoulder while in practice putting into it a fraction of the effort.
I don’t think this is the only side of the story, of course. I donate myself to organisations who I believe do important work but aren’t in the consensus. I think governments are good for making some democratic decisions, but are very undemocratic on others, e.g. by only representing the country’s population and not the entire world’s, or by neglecting to represent animals or future generations. And I think organisations that operate independently of the government are good for putting checks and balances on it and preventing consolidation of power.
As always, I don’t think this implication is necessarily bad. Individual philanthropy is not sustainable, undemocratic, and indeed might do more harm than good in that, in public perception, it takes the weight off the government’s shoulder while in practice putting into it a fraction of the effort.
I don’t think this is the only side of the story, of course. I donate myself to organisations who I believe do important work but aren’t in the consensus. I think governments are good for making some democratic decisions, but are very undemocratic on others, e.g. by only representing the country’s population and not the entire world’s, or by neglecting to represent animals or future generations. And I think organisations that operate independently of the government are good for putting checks and balances on it and preventing consolidation of power.