Re: attacking FSF [Re: Paid trolls

[Russ Allbery]

Per Abrahamsen <abraham@dina.kvl.dk> writes:
> Russ Allbery <rra@stanford.edu> writes:

>> As a result, I ineffeciently hoard resources that I could be donating
>> to other causes in order to make sure that I'll be self-sufficient in
>> the long term, whereas if we had a reliable and dependable social
>> support structure that guaranteed everyone basic health care, shelter,
>> and food, I'd feel much more comfortable donating a significantly
>> higher percentage of my resources to charities.

> You most likely don't "hoard resources", you save or invest money.  That
> doesn't make any real stuff disappear or be hidden.  Money aren't
> ressources, they are power to influence how ressources are applied.  You
> can do at least as much good by applying that power on investments as on
> charity.  The third world needs good investments more than charity.

Yes and no.

If I had the time and energy to make really thoughtful investments, I
think your point would apply more, but I think the number of people in my
income range who really have the time and interest to do that is fairly
low.  I make a lot of investments that are stable, secure, and easy, but
which do little to really increase the available resources of society
except in the most minimal fashion.

If everyone did things like support socially-responsible investment funds,
I think your point would be very valid, but I've not even managed to find
the right information and the necessary amount of time to do that myself,
much to my shame.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@stanford.edu)             <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>