Martin Vander Weyer’s Any Other Business
‘If the rich really wish to create a better world, they can sign another pledge: to pay their taxes on time and in full; to give their employees better wages… and working conditions; to use production methods that don’t kill or maim or damage the environment…’ That was Peter Wilby in the Guardian, responding to the news last week that 40 American billionaires have pledged to donate half (or in Warren Buffett’s case, 99 per cent) of their fortunes to good causes. Wilby perfectly encapsulates the British left’s contempt for the notion of charitable giving funded by free-market capitalism — and the prevalence of his view is one reason why the culture of philanthropy in this country is so subdued.
If you’re keen to fund an academy, you probably want to brainwash teenagers with right-wing ideology. If your name is attached to a concert hall you endowed, you must be a vulgar egotist.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in