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When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

theatlantic.com

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Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#11

Post by isoskeles »

9nGQluzmnq3M wrote: post #10
vorpalhex wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're right, they shouldn't of fed the homeless.

Give me a man a fish vs teach a man to fish. The system in the US is broken, the Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless is only a flimsy bandaid, and the real reason it's pernicious is because now the volunteer can sit back in the warm glow of approval on Facebook/Instagram and think "There! Now I've done my part".

What's pernicious is the attitude that helping people and treating them likes humans, in the real world, can be turned into some act of malice where we can assume the worst about the intentions of the people doing it.

That said, I do think it's silly and pointless to "help" on Thanksgiving. These places are overrun with volunteers on Thanksgiving but not at other times of the year.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#12

Post by cm2012 »

stevespang wrote: post #4

“The White Savior Industrial Complex is not about justice,” Teju Cole wrote in 2012. “It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.” You see this everywhere, like the wealthy people who sign up to feed the homeless Thanksgiving Dinner at the Salvation Army Kitchen. Then later they drive home to their warm mansions while the homeless go back to their cold makeshift cardboard tents under the o…

"the wise man bowed his head solemnly and spoke: 'theres actually zero difference between good & bad things. you imbecile. you fucking moron'"

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#13

Post by kraig911 »

hkmurakami wrote: post #9
kraig911 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It can get ugly. I did a gofundme to raise money for my daughter's stem cell treatment. Half my extended family doesn't talk to me anymore. I'm sorry I was short 20k in savings and couldn't figure it out on my own guys but I had to swallow my pride and do whatever it took.

Do they not talk to you because they gave you money? Or because somehow you bright the family shame for asking others for help? Or something else?

They don't talk to me because to them I was begging for money.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#14

Post by EdwardDiego »

kraig911 wrote: post #13
hkmurakami wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do they not talk to you because they gave you money? Or because somehow you bright the family shame for asking others for help? Or something else?

They don't talk to me because to them I was begging for money.

I'm sorry to hear that mate, but I totally get where you're coming from - pride is nothing compared to your daughter's life.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#15

Post by climb_stealth »

kraig911 wrote: post #6
viking1992 wrote: post #2

What's the ugly part? The article talks about successful and unsuccessful GoFundMe campaigns. Is the ugly part that some deplorables got millions from other deplorables? I deem the title click bait.

It can get ugly. I did a gofundme to raise money for my daughter's stem cell treatment. Half my extended family doesn't talk to me anymore. I'm sorry I was short 20k in savings and couldn't figure it out on my own guys but I had to swallow my pride and do whatever it took.

That is horrible! Families can be really nasty like that. For whatever a random comment on the internet is worth, I believe you did the right thing. And people who put this above the life of your daughter are not worth associating with.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#16

Post by chii »

9nGQluzmnq3M wrote: post #10
vorpalhex wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're right, they shouldn't of fed the homeless.

Give me a man a fish vs teach a man to fish. The system in the US is broken, the Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless is only a flimsy bandaid, and the real reason it's pernicious is because now the volunteer can sit back in the warm glow of approval on Facebook/Instagram and think "There! Now I've done my part".

>"There! Now I've done my part".

they indeed have done their part. The problem isn't caused by these people.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#17

Post by fatbird »

vorpalhex wrote: post #8
stevespang wrote: post #4

“The White Savior Industrial Complex is not about justice,” Teju Cole wrote in 2012. “It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.” You see this everywhere, like the wealthy people who sign up to feed the homeless Thanksgiving Dinner at the Salvation Army Kitchen. Then later they drive home to their warm mansions while the homeless go back to their cold makeshift cardboard tents under the o…

You're right, they shouldn't of fed the homeless.

They shouldn’t feed the homeless on a marquee holiday and then ignore the problem the other 364 days of the year; nor should they feel like feeding them directly does anything to address the underlying systemic issues that create or sustain the problem in the first place.

The main criticism of Thanksgiving charity is that it’s about making the privileged feel generous without solving any problems at all, and in fact blinds the privileged to any need to do more than they are on one day a year.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#18

Post by fatbird »

chii wrote: post #16
9nGQluzmnq3M wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Give me a man a fish vs teach a man to fish. The system in the US is broken, the Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless is only a flimsy bandaid, and the real reason it's pernicious is because now the volunteer can sit back in the warm glow of approval on Facebook/Instagram and think "There! Now I've done my part".

>"There! Now I've done my part". they indeed have done their part. The problem isn't caused by these people.

It’s also not solved by them, despite the warm glow they get from dishing out mashed potatoes once a year.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#19

Post by danans »

kraig911 wrote: post #6
viking1992 wrote: post #2

What's the ugly part? The article talks about successful and unsuccessful GoFundMe campaigns. Is the ugly part that some deplorables got millions from other deplorables? I deem the title click bait.

It can get ugly. I did a gofundme to raise money for my daughter's stem cell treatment. Half my extended family doesn't talk to me anymore. I'm sorry I was short 20k in savings and couldn't figure it out on my own guys but I had to swallow my pride and do whatever it took.

> I'm sorry I was short 20k in savings and couldn't figure it out on my own guys but I had to swallow my pride and do whatever it took.

You did what you had to do given the realities, but I'm sorry and ashamed that as a society we put you in that position.

Re: When GoFundMe Gets Ugly

#20

Post by danans »

stevespang wrote: post #4

“The White Savior Industrial Complex is not about justice,” Teju Cole wrote in 2012. “It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.” You see this everywhere, like the wealthy people who sign up to feed the homeless Thanksgiving Dinner at the Salvation Army Kitchen. Then later they drive home to their warm mansions while the homeless go back to their cold makeshift cardboard tents under the o…

It also parallels the billionaire philanthropy complex (and related tax avoidance) that Rutger Bregman called out at Davos, ruffling the feathers of the billionaires attending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ijiLqfXP0

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