Is Philanthropy A Bad Idea Summary

Fayez Hussein

In the essay “Is Philanthropy a Bad Idea?” the authors doubt the role of philanthropy in society as they claim that they are practically required by the government, take away government responsibility, and how unstable they can be.

The authors claim that because governments allows for such an unequal balance of wealth to exist it requires philanthropies to exist. They claim that because governments allow for wealth to be concentrated into the hands of a very small group of people, due to tax breaks and pro-business legislation, it makes both themselves and their people poorer. This creates a welfare net that is supported on the backs on a middle class that is getting smaller every day.

The authors also claim that philanthropies take a government’s obligation to care for its citizens by providing aid. They claim that due to the government taking less money from corporations they become weak and unable to care for it citizens; making philanthropies absolutely required. They claim that this is evident in the forty-eight-million Americans who lack health care and the 12% that live below the poverty line.

If a food charity got less money one year than it did the previous the people who depended on that charity would have no one to go to. Charities aren’t governments; they cannot take loans or increase taxes to earn lost money as strong governments can.

The authors claim that philanthropies, unlike governments, can pick and choose who they wish to support. A rich devout Christian may donate to a church instead of a soup kitchen. Governments, on the other hand, are legally obligated to support their citizens regardless of their race, ethnicity, or