I was walking to Trafalgar Square yesterday, when suddenly a piece of trash in the form of a flower (seen in the picture) was pressed into my hand. A lady — to be polite to the fraudster — asked me for money for poor children. When I repeatedly asked what charity organisation she is working for, she only repeats the money goes to children, poor children, and after more questioning, to children in London and around the world. Either she must believe that I do not speak English, or her own language skill was very poor. Let’s assume the latter.

Moreover a passing woman asking “Is that for the children?” gave her £5, which made me feel quite uncomfortable. So, after having received the trash/flowerlet, I felt morally impelled — my weak psyche — to give her something in exchange, in this sad case, £2. And outrageously, she asked for more. She wanted “paper money”. Of course, I left then.

There are two lessons I have learnt:

1. She was not designated by any organisation with a T-shirt or badge, and sadly I still gave her some money although I actually did not really believe her. More sadly, she was — frankly — old and fat. Being deceived by a young attractive girl would have made me feel less like a complete loser.
2. Giving away money does not buy a good conscience, and it certainly does not work by donating away my parents’ money. I certainly believe that private charities are doing good things, but I am very worried by the intransparency of many charity organisations. Moreover, I don’t think charity is everyone’s matter. Many households are on an average budget and they are certainly entitled to some “luxury” using the bit abundance they gain by hard work.
   I think charity is a moral duty of the “rich”. But, alas, I cannot blame any “rich” person for being self-interested if they are systematically ripped off by the government by progressive taxes. If the government believes that it is the governor of social justice then nobody should wonder that private charity declines.