Charity and fire

We look at media comment on "The Giving Pledge", in which 40 billionaires have promised to give away half of their net worth to charity. We also look at comments on the fires in Russia.

An act of charity

The “Giving Pledge”, in which 40 billionaires have vowed to donate at least half their net worth to philanthropic causes of their choice, won't solve poverty, but it does send the right message, writes the International Herald Tribune.

... Not even the best-intentioned philanthropy can rectify the growing income disparities that have driven excessive speculation by the rich and indebtedness for the poor. But Buffett, Gates, and their colleagues are making an emphatic point by sacrificing their personal gains for the higher value of social progress.

Playing with fire

Russia’s wildfires, which have killed 52 people, destroyed over a thousand homes and burnt thousands of hectares of forest, show that reforms to modernize the state have not been deep enough, writes the Financial Times.

... Soaring energy prices have transformed the fortunes of Russia’s economy. Average wages have risen ten-fold. But look closer, and the transformation is skin-deep. Russia still suffers from flawed governance, a slapdash approach to safety and dilapidated infrastructure. ... When local power resides in the hands of inefficient and corrupt bureaucrats, simple safety measures like a functioning forest code or adequate emergency services are allowed to atrophy. ...