Speaking as somebody who isnt into EA, I assure you most of the people criticizing EA havent donated a dime or spent a single minute volunteering. Everybody talks the talk about how to charity but nobody walks the walk
It's not "joining the cult", unless you consider altruism as a whole to be the cult.
no, but you should investigate the claims and verify that the criticism is fair.
But I also don't want the markets dictated by the whims of some dissociated jackoff arrogantly and ineffectively disbursing obscene amounts of money, and certainly not with the momentum of some centralized institution. I need cheaper food and cheaper rent and cheaper utilities prices to be able to effectively act as an altruist - you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others - and when all of the resources are being siphoned off and distributed to the top, myself and millions of others simply lack the capacity.
And if many hands makes for little work, doesn't that give way to a more effective framework than a handful of people controlling affecting altruism? I reckon so.
Not to mention the whole free market thesis being wholly disrupted by the shrinkage of the middle class in developed nations, leaving the have-nots subordinated to the haves and ever more preoccupied with just getting by.
Poor people in underdeveloped nations also need help.
EA targets the latter need, but that does not invalidate the former need.
Unfortunately, people like SBF, who it'd be fair to consider enemies of the working class, associated themselves with EA and have tarnished the brand.
I also think I should be taxed more and more taxes should be used for social programs and welfare, I'm certainly not best positioned to decide the most effective use of my money.
And there's a sickness in our society, that a person/movement/concept is judged by those associated with it, instead of on its own.
This seems a bit odd... the issues happened within the context of the group's activities and the problems were shielded by EA. This is like suggesting the Catholic Church had nothing to do with child abuse and we should only blame the priests.
At least in the Bay Area, I heard that the people who regularly organize in-person events will refuse entry to certain men who have a history of preying on women, but really there is no way to prevent those men or anyone else from persisting in publicly proclaiming that they are effective altruists.
Similarly, effectivealtruism.org is just one non-profit in an ecosystem of dozens and does not own the trademark "effective altruism" or "effective altruist" (which might give it some ability to control how the trademark is used or by whom it is used).
You're overgeneralizing too far. This is like saying just because a church has a building doesn't mean they are an organization. The building was purchased with the expressed intent of being used for the group. It appears you trying to suggest there are weak ties where there are actually strong ones. These people all know each other and shared ideas.
I'm not a huge fan of EA, but I'm sick of seeing HN and EA endorse tribalism by saying that all Christians this or all Republicans this or all white people that or all rich people that....
-rich white Republican Christian