So on the topic of effective altruism, I've been thinking about the benefits of a "can't beat 'em? join 'em" type strategy for improving the world. Examples:

• Wish South Africa would stop apartheid? Don't protest it, there will be lots of people doing that. Instead, try to gain power within the South African government and become F. W. de Klerk. (Arguably that role is more noble anyway, since you'd be relinquishing power instead of trying to gain power for yourself and people like you.)
• Want to make China a democracy? Join the communist party and try to be the next Gorbachev.
• Think XYZ Corp pollutes too much? Join them as an industrial engineer and work on improving their equipment.
• Want to make the government more efficient? Join the most wasteful government branch you can find, be the plain-spoken, tight-wadded, intelligent, responsive government employee you wish all government employees were, and try to advance to management positions that let you cut the fat off your government branch.
• Wish academic researchers would stop doing dangerous research that could lead to AGI or brain emulations? Go to grad school, research those topics, gain some acclaim, and then start preaching to your colleagues about potential dangers.
• Think one of your country's political parties is completely nuts? Fake your way to a position of power within the party, then make a point of always being the most reasonable person in the room.

Thoughts?