Effective Altruism's Political Blind Spot - Boston Review
“Effective altruism,” the philanthropic movement founded on Peter Singer’s ideas, applies a consequentialist philosophy to the problem of global poverty. “Effective altruism,” the philanthropic movement founded on Peter Singer’s ideas, applies a consequentialist philosophy to the problem of global poverty, taking the position that the impact of our actions should guide our giving. To do “the most good we can,” so-called effective altruists reason, we ought to route our philanthropy through effective organizations that spend money efficiently and make the greatest possible impact. Unfortunately, as Angus Deaton reminds us, identifying a highly effective organization is far from simple. The “aid curse” literature has convincingly shown that pumping aid money into corrupt governments rarely achieves redistributive goals: aid often doesn’t reach its intended recipients, and the money can fund harmful, kleptocratic activities that hurt the poor. In light of this, the philanthropic community