Do anarchists support the Peace Corps?

Question

State-run, but good for the world? Or not?

Answer 1

It's my impression that the Peace Corps benefits the volunteers more than the people they are supposed to be helping. But even so, many anarchists actually consider charity work to be counter-productive becuase it post-pones a revolution on the part of the suffering. Oscar Wilde went into this idea in more depth in his essay "The Soul of Man Under Socialism". I would read it if I were you, it's really good.

Answer 2

the peace corps generally uses volunteer labor to increase development. development (inclusion into the western model of the world) has some short term benefits and many short and long term detriments.

as far as i know, anarchists don't like charity not because it decreases suffering (?!), but because it continues a power relationship that is inappropriate, that assumes that people cannot solve their own problems, that assumes that outside influences know better what a people need than the "charity-ed" do, etc.

Comments

also, "good for the world"? really?

Answer 3

Any form of help where a person does not become part of the community is superficial and maybe in some way unethical by its detachment from the common suffering of others and the determination of an outside group of the other group's needs and the answers to those needs.