The Noble Gesture and the Invisible Dumpster
The Noble Gesture and the Invisible Dumpster Human beings, when observed from a safe distance and preferably through very good binoculars, appear to be creatures of astonishing generosity. They will gather in great numbers, often on a Saturday morning when sensible mammals would still be asleep, to release thousands of small rubber ducks into a river and then cheer wildly as gravity performs its usual duties. This is called charity . The ducks are purchased individually, which is important, because nothing says “collective moral purpose” quite like competitive floating. Each duck represents hope, kindness, and a quiet understanding that the duck itself was manufactured in a factory whose carbon footprint could be detected from space by anyone who happened to be looking for it. But this is not discussed, because the ducks are smiling. Humans have discovered that if an action is framed as doing good , it acquires a kind of magical force field. Inside this field, questions about wast...