The Useful Altruists: How NGOs Serve Capitalism and Imperialism

[VanishingPoi]

When I think of all the NGO's that I have personally been involved in. I see all the characteristics in this article.


The Useful Altruists: How NGOs Serve Capitalism and Imperialism

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/10/...d-imperialism/

[Ike Bana]

So do I understand this correctly? The existence of government tax supported non-profits (in particular social service, health service, and charitable organizations) actually keep the poor repressed and allow governments to avoid dealing with what should be governmental responsibility, thus bolstering the position of the economic ruling class.

Oversimplified, of course, but the best I can do in one sentence.

[donquixote99]

All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

So do I understand this correctly? The existence of government tax supported non-profits (in particular social service, health service, and charitable organizations) actually keep the poor repressed and allow governments to avoid dealing with what should be governmental responsibility, thus bolstering the position of the economic ruling class.

Oversimplified, of course, but the best I can do in one sentence.

Not just government-supported. Indeed, the trend towards privatization is very much in evidence here.

[VanishingPoi]

Has anyone commenting ever worked for an NGO. If so, how long? How was the grant money spent? How many people did they actually support with that money?

[VanishingPoi]

I spent 4 years with NGOs.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by VanishingPoi

Has anyone commenting ever worked for an NGO. If so, how long? How was the grant money spent? How many people did they actually support with that money?

I was a staff clinician at the largest non-religious affiliated non-profit family service agency in metro Chicago for over 12 years.

The majority of clients in my case load had hourly fees under $15, and half of those had the agency minimum $5 fee. My wife had (still has) her own private counseling practice all those years and her average hourly fee was $85 and she was charging $15-30/hr less than most practicing clinicians in our area. Our clients were able to see a board certified, state licensed psychiatrist for the same fee as the counseling staff...although that fee was for a 15 minute med-monitoring session. The majority of these clients were on medicaid and had no mental health insurance benefits.

I had 75 clients in my caseload. That was about average for staff. Our required productivity number was 60% of our hours spent in direct service. It was a hellish job, but all of us felt pretty goddamn good about our contribution to the lives of people who would have gone without support were it not for this agency.

Grant money was earmarked for services that were grant funded. For instance, the agency had and still has a large Head Start program. My first 8 years with the agency was spent in a welfare to work program that was funded by HUD through the local Section 8 Housing Authority office. Our general counseling programs were self-supporting through benefactors, income from the agency endowment, and fee for service charges.

Should the government, through tax revenue, including taxing the 1%er's at an appropriate rate be paying for this sort of social service? Absolutely. Should we sacrifice the welfare of the less fortunate who need such services for principle because the government won't do it? Absolutely no fucking way.

[Dondilion]

The article did not include use of NGOs in post Soviet societies, where there are utilized to facilitate regime change - sometimes called colored revolution - and ease the entry of the globalists.