There's a satirical piece on how to give aid to Nigeria and Nigerians titled How to Give Foreign Aid which really hammers a nail that needs hammering.
The implication is that guilt is the predominant motivator of the giver. Here's an excerpt:
Sometimes you must ignore the small negatives so you can focus on the big picture. The government is corrupt. You know they are stealing half of the aid money that comes in, but what do wicked critics want you to do? Leave and let Nigeria perish? Your conscience will not allow you to do that. After you have pushed the aid out your door, (people don’t realize but this is hard work too), it will be wicked of anyone to expect you to be held responsible for how every penny is used.
I see your good foreign heart. I know that little by little you will save the third world from self-destruction, disease and poverty. I am not sure how, but I feel it. I feel it the way a wife knows her husband is cheating even when she can’t find the evidence yet- wives know these things.
And come to think about it, this could apply to domestic do-gooders as well.
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