Effective altruism by Sam Bankman-Fried w.r.t. his political donations (dems: transparently; republicans: secretly)
Effective altruism by Sam Bankman-Fried w.r.t. his political donations (dems: transparently; republicans: secretly)
Considering Sam Bankman-Fried claimed to practice #effectiveAltruism, and the fact that he makes substantial political donations, I thought we can validate to some extent whether his effective altruism is bogus or genuine. I thought this would be easily settled. If he favors democrats, he’s putting humanity above wealth & tyranny. If republicans, the altruistic claim can be easily dismissed.
It turns out #SamBankmanFried donated to democrats and republicans both. It’s unclear if the donations were equally effective for both parties, but interesting that he donated to dems in-the-clear while hiding donations to republicans. One of the notable donations went to a congressman who was most critical of cryptocurrency. So naturally he had to bribe that politician.
Dems were surprised to find that he also donated to republicans (and by his own admission!). Had he donated to both parties in transparency, recipients could see their opponent is also being fed and disregard the donation (i.e. give no preferential treatment). Seeing all the recipients would reveal if there were at least a consistent ideology or philosophy in play.
I have to conclude the political donations were likely all just to promote his own success. It does not completely nix the claim of effective altruism because he would argue it was purely a wealth accumulation endeavor as a precursor to effective altruism. But I have to say someone who is fully engaged in the idea of effective altruism would be irresistibly selective in who receives political contributions even at the cost of reduced wealth. A humanitarian would not be able to stomach the idea of financing a republican war chest.
You also have to figure that since he chose to make dem financing transparent and repub financing in the dark, he inherently gave republican recipients full view of it. That’s only viable if he donates much more to republicans who would see that he donates mere peanuts to the opponent for optics.
If he favors democrats, he’s putting humanity above wealth & tyranny. If republicans, the altruistic claim can be easily dismissed.
Your claims are from the start erroneous because they are based on a one-dimesnsional criterion which ignores the democrats' perpetrations.
How the Democrats Traded the New Deal for Neoliberalism (Jacobin)
Obama's Drone War (The Diplomat)
Biden Said He Would Stop Drilling. Then Reality Hit. (New York Times)
Biden’s Backing of Israeli War Crimes Carries on a Sordid US Tradition (truthout)
I agree that some of those transgressions contradict humanitarianism. You can always cherry-pick dirt on all individual politicians of course. That’s not interesting.
My comment draws from the broader principles of the party platform. One party fights public healthcare, fights public education, promotes xenophobia, islamaphobia, fights welfare, fights gun control, fights environmental protection & pushes #climateDenial propaganda, fights income equality, champions #citizensUnited, #ALEC, #NRA, etc. It’s clear from the values of the party platforms which parties are humanitarian and which are not.
First, let me clarify that I am not an American, so my perspective is quite different. Second, my argument is that this binary is misconceived since both parties are not humanistic (albeit to different degrees).
Anyhow, we are talking about administrations here, these are presidents and not simple individuals. Past decisions clearly show that the party in question, if it has any humanistic values, they are at the very least selectively or discrepantly implemented.
If it would have fought for environmental protection, the past administrations would have stopped appeasing oil shells.
And how could racial equity or gender equality have any impact if they do not liberate the working class from the capitalists' oppression?
At least now that the US army is progressive it will at last employ queers to carry out drone attacks in places that Americans ignore their whereabouts.
The two parties complete each other's policies more than you think they don't, at least when seen from a non-American point of view. Just like Clinton progressed Nixon and Reagan's neoliberal policies, the Biden administration is resuming the construction of Trump's border wall..
Logically, we (or you, actually) cannot invoke the list of values enumerated above as "core values" to the Party if it cannot consistently abide by them.
P.S. exposing several administrations' compliance in neoliberalism and imperialism is quite evidently not "cherry picking". So please, I beg you to argue with good will.
1- If a man robs ypu, and then give it back to you indirectly without your consent, in the form of supporting a democratic party. Does that justify his actions ?
2- You know I have come across democrats who hated biden, and sought to vote for someone else for democracy.
Everyone knows a thing or two about biden's corruption; how he protects his son, instead of allowing individuals to take accountability and responsibility for their selves.
3- It does not matter what bankman did with the money, in terms of trying to change the fact that he stole money from people and lied to the people.
4- Infact the parties that received the donations have to comply and cooperate, if such proofs exist that they were complicit. And there is.
So I'm not sure how this is going to even flourish in terms of supporting republicans or democrats.
What goes around comes around.
I guess you may call me a realist lol.