One of my favorite tongue-in-cheek reviews of the rationalist community is "STEM nerds discovering philosophy." I'm the other way around--a philosophy and theology nerd who is discovering STEM. My priors suggest there are no easy answers, and you will struggle with big questions like your post throughout your life. 

In Christian theology, there are sins of commission and sins of omission ("We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.") Singer's idea that you can be morally at fault for doing nothing is quite an old idea.

Yet...the same book that introduces the Parable of the Good Samartian and answers "Who is my neighbor?" in the most expansive way possible, also says this:

"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1 Timothy 5:8

IMO, EA is somewhat of a "luxury belief," in the sense that it's something one should engage in after the basic necessities of life are met. Maslow's hierarchy applies at all times. 

Speaking as a conservative EA, I often feel uneasy about advocating for public funds. I believe that taxpayer money is semi-sacred, given by my fellow citizens in the trust that it will be spent responsibly and frugally in the service of our society. Taxes are for our essentials--roads, schools, courts, etc. What's non-essential should remain in the pockets of citizens, to enable their own vision of The Good and the pursuit of utility.

That's why I love when EAs talk about earn to give and other ways to direct non-taxpayer funds toward EA goals. There's a lot of opportunity for narrative-making there that would appeal to conservatives. A scrappy EA hustles hard to donate his/her personal wealth to causes that are maybe a bit unusual, but he's passionate about. Many conservatives would respect that, even if it's for something like shrimp welfare.

I appreciate this kind of outside the norm framing. Similarly, I've found myself wondering about the carbon impact of tariffs. Would the decrease in long-distance shipping be offset by the redundancy of having a factory in the US making the same widget made in China? I suspect there's parallels with covid disruption to the global supply chain, to include the kind of economic impact you're analyzing here.

It does seem like EA as a movement has matured (or maybe, less charitably, ossified) in what to focus on and how to approach it. In some ways that's good, but I also see how having a less nebulous/freewheeling debate makes it easier for people to see where the focus is, and to decide it's not interesting.

Perhaps this is similar to how Obama had very high approval ratings in his earliest days, when he was a blank canvas everyone projected their hopes and dreams onto. Then as he inevitably started making policies and choosing what to focus on, his approval rating slipped as initial supporters realized he wasn't going to pursue free college, single-payer healthcare, etc.

This is a courageous post, and I commend you for it. I aspire to the level of open reflection and dispassionate analysis you've displayed here.

I'm fairly new on the forum, and am trying to decide if I should go all-in on EA or remain on the outside looking in. This vignette resonated with me:

As one MP put it: “I have to show my party how this will benefit our country”.

I'm a (small-r) republican and an ardent believer in my country's social contract. I find myself agreeing with the MP--there's usually an expectation that good stewardship of taxpayer money means using it in a way that primarily benefits citizens and/or the national interest. Despite my EA interest, I'm a tad uncomfortable advocating for public funds to be diverted in a way that provides no tangible benefits to the society providing it (unless there's an explicit democratic mandate to do so).

That's why I love the idea of earn to give and other forms of private EA money, even though I'm aware that 1% of a Western country's budget earmarked for foreign aid is likely substantially more money than all but the richest donors can chip in.

I'm curious about what your next steps are, and I wish you all the best.

Hi, I'm Will from the USA. I've been working in cyber security for about 15 years, and am at the point in my career where I'm moving from middle management to more senior roles.

I've been lurking the EA forums for about a year, but held off on joining the discussion until now because I had considered myself more EA-adjacent. I'm passionate about a small number of causes in the EA portfolio (mostly related to AI and X-risk) while I'm unmoved by other areas of focus.

I'm dipping my toes in the EA water, and I hope my time here can encourage me to fully hop in the pool. As a side note, I am thrilled to be on an old-school internet forum again!