Peter Buffett has a spot-on op-ed in the New York Times today, in which he calls out the complicity of philanthropy in a culture of exploitation and inequality, by which the right hand gives a little philanthropy as a sop to problems the profit-mongering left hand has created.

Especially relevant to the mission of FAIR Money is his indictment of philanthropic financial services to the poor:

“Microlending and financial literacy (now I’m going to upset people who are wonderful folks and a few dear friends) — what is this really about? People will certainly learn how to integrate into our system of debt and repayment with interest. People will rise above making $2 a day to enter our world of goods and services so they can buy more. But doesn’t all this just feed the beast?”

Buffett says he is not calling for an end to capitalism, he is calling for humanism.

FAIR Money has started talking about what it takes to empower people (of all levels of income) to participate financially on their own terms. In Buffet’s words: what does it take to stop feeding the beast? I hope we can arrive at an answer using a thoughtful, inclusive, participatory process.