What, exactly, is wrong with charity?

This could be seen as an objectionable question, possibly even a deliberately puckish one. But it is meant seriously - what is wrong with charity?

Research for the Guardian by GoFundMe found a 28% rise in the number of appeals mentioning universal credit appearing on the platform between July 2021 and January 2022 compared with the pre-pandemic period of July 2019 to January 2020……

….He adds: “It will be a tough winter for many people and as such we would expect more fundraisers for basic household needs. Some of the stories are heartbreaking but the power it gives people when communities rally around to help is truly inspiring.

“There are some incredible stories of kindness playing out every single day all over the world and that, in turn, makes people more confident to ask for the help they need.”

Some desire a higher standard of living than the world is currently offering them. We see nothing unusual or harmful in that. That course of going out and getting it for themselves seems to be barred for some reason. So, in order to gain that higher standard of living there must be a transfer from other people.

Fair enough, but which type of transfer? Through taxation, through compulsion? Or voluntarily through charity? The Guardian’s clear and obvious view here is that the steel fist of the state must be employed, ordnung must be imposed and folk forced to hand the cash over.

We’re willing to agree that at times that does indeed need to be done. There are things the state must do and which also need to be done - things that only the state can do and which must be done. So, tax revenue is indeed a necessity.

The part we don’t get is this implied insistence that the existence of charity is proof that something is wrong. People do get helped, that living standard does improve, funded by those who specifically desire to increase those living standards. What, in short, is wrong with voluntary action which solves the problem?

It’s even possible to insist that the charitable route increases general wellbeing. Those who desire to so give do so and this increases their utility. That is, the charitable route is better overall.

So why is the simple existence of charitable donations being used as the proof that there’s something wrong?