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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Today's Random Wilde

We are often told that the poor are grateful for charity. Some of them are, no doubt, but the best amongst the poor are never grateful. They are ungrateful, discontented, disobedient, and rebellious. They are quite right to be so. Charity they feel to be a ridiculously inadequate mode of partial restitution, or a sentimental dole, usually accompanied by some impertinent attempt on the part of the sentimentalist to tyrannise over their private lives. Why should they be grateful for the crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table? They should be seated at the board, and are beginning to know it.

4 comments:

jollyspaniard said...

Charity often comes with strings attached.

Black guy from the future past said...

"Charity" is a thieving mechanism, tax deductible and a palliative of conscience. The whole thing reeks of self-centeredness. Is the person being charitable for others or is it a PR stunt to gain recognition? Charity also only occurs when somebody HAS MORE THAN THEY CAN POSSIBLY NEED OR USE, that's already a problem at the outset. Charity is very controversial. Even those we take for granted as "saints" like Mother Teresa, have used charity for self-centered and thieving ends.

What we need is equality, equity-in-diversity, not "charity".

Dale Carrico said...

I think I may have a more positive outlook on charity, volunteerism, activism, and public service than Wilde did, but definitely I agree with him that private charity is no substitute for -- and cannot be allowed to function as a bar to -- good government dedicated to the equity-in-diversity of all people and the sustained flourishing of earthlings.

jollyspaniard said...

It isn't all bad of course. It is usually overrated. Here in the UK collecting for charity is often a for profit enterprise with pennies on the pound going to recipients.