Effective Altruism is like Catholic indulgences on steroids

Effective Altruism and FTX Scandal

Clip taken from DarkHorse Podcast Livestream #150 (originally streamed live on Nov 19, 2022):

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Theme Music: Thank you to Martin Molin of Wintergatan for providing us the rights to use their excellent music.

[PsychicAlchemy]

This sort of utilitarian thinking also leads to eugenics.

[nikkorain]

One of your best. The two fur babies in the middle soften the message. Well done.

[davesideas-yt]

The cat is thinking that it would be a VERY good idea to enslave all dogs for the purpose of being living pillows for cats.

[zoomby]

This quote from Alan Watts
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions"
A. A person of good intentions looks to Change the world.
Vs
B. A person of good Chractor looks within.

('We all can be engaged in good deeds, help a stranded person, give someone their lunch deeds do good as its not trying to be grandiose or look at at my virtuous self. )

Victor Davis Hanson has been framing this sort of thing as "purchasing woke insurance" or "medieval penance" for years, and it's absolutely correct.

[jimoconnor]

Any Rand had a point that people try to hide their worst actions inside the sheep’s clothing of “altruism”. If something is still right if done entirely for yourself then it is okay.

[shadownet_nft]

Ringing all sorts of Bill Gates bells don't you think?

[buybuydandavis]

This was a great discussion.
I was pleasantly surprised that Bret wasn't taken in by effective altruism.
But Heather made the best point:
pay no attention to my actions my intentions are good and I'm just I'm gaining power so that I can push all those intentions in the right direction
---
Bingo.
Effective altruism is a way for totalitarians to dress up their will to power as piety. "I only want to do good!" said every totalitarian ever.
Note that Orwell also recognized the scam:
The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just round the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.
Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?'
...

[nevsart]

Hey Guys: are you going to do a video on “Died Suddenly”?

[jenni]

Effective altruism should from now on be referred to as defective altruism

[mballer]

Why did people invest?
I don't see the connections.
Did they expect no financial return as in an indulgence, and only expect their money to build something?

[ohsweetmystery]

I would love some examples of altruism. Practically every example I hear is quite obviously self-serving in some way.

[yulupi]

When I first learned about effective altruism and long-termism, as a rationalist, I found it fascinating. But the more I learned about its core, the more it gave me strange feelings that I could not put into words. If I were to use an analogy, it's like when I was a kid, when my parents wouldn't allow me to socialize with my friends and do any non-school related activities, and said I'm doing this for your future and you'll thank us when you get to go to the best school. I felt so frustrated.

[garyfrancis]

That evolutionary biologist in the middle never comments.

[JonFrumTheFirst]

This is my favorite sleeping dog channel.

[anilmethipara]

Thank you so much for articulating so much of how I feel!

[TUESDAYLODEON]

I LOVE YOUR EFFORTS! You are so correct regarding (effective) altruism. ADDITION: Breadcrumbing is being used as a dating/psych term but has a much more valuable use. The destruction of the "true of heart" altruistic persons begins with, in my opinion, the political, corporate and non-profit corporation acts of breadcrumbing - with the center of their efforts also being narcissism and no remorse for others. My view takes into account, that in real life, the perpetrators place the breadcrumbs in place. Either way, Hansel and Gretel are the victims with the breadcrumbs being used as bait (real life) and as a failed exit plan (real life and storybook). Then, the network or gang is revealed at a later time and place when the Hansels and Gretels are in the midst of destruction. You are great people! Thank you for the very educational and thought provoking online production work! You are appreciated!

[romulusgheorghe]

Emotional transactional altruism versus rational, logical compassion.

[Mrmagil]

You two REALLY need to read A Conflict of Visions and The Vision of The Anointed.

[somehugecontraption]

Effective altruism is a euphemism for fascism