Bill and Melinda Gates announce one of the biggest charitable donations in history

[littlebabyjesus]

The point that he will not do anything that conflicts with Microsoft's interests is a valid one.

At least he's not spending it on weapons, though. Or throwing money at sports teams, paying players millions to entertain him. It could be a lot worse.

I don't doubt that his intentions are genuine. I also don't doubt that he is not in favour if the kind of cooperative, socialist society that I would like.

 

[yield]

I agree with sihhi. Gates, Soros, Carnegie...

Nobody has to be vile Slavoj Zizek. LRB. 6 April 2006

According to liberal communist ethics, the ruthless pursuit of profit is counteracted by charity: charity is part of the game, a humanitarian mask hiding the underlying economic exploitation. Developed countries are constantly ‘helping’ undeveloped ones (with aid, credits etc), and so avoiding the key issue: their complicity in and responsibility for the miserable situation of the Third World. As for the opposition between ‘smart’ and ‘non-smart’, outsourcing is the key notion. You export the (necessary) dark side of production – disciplined, hierarchical labour, ecological pollution – to ‘non-smart’ Third World locations (or invisible ones in the First World). The ultimate liberal communist dream is to export the entire working class to invisible Third World sweat shops.

We should have no illusions: liberal communists are the enemy of every true progressive struggle today. All other enemies – religious fundamentalists, terrorists, corrupt and inefficient state bureaucracies – depend on contingent local circumstances. Precisely because they want to resolve all these secondary malfunctions of the global system, liberal communists are the direct embodiment of what is wrong with the system. It may be necessary to enter into tactical alliances with liberal communists in order to fight racism, sexism and religious obscurantism, but it’s important to remember exactly what they are up to.

...

 

[Jazzz]

Look guys - we all know how microsoft behaved. Do you really, really think that Bill Gates the slightest humanitarian in him? The answer is no.

The Sunday Times revealed - as I've said before about the elite - that Gates' primary concern is overpopulation.
Billionaire club in bid to curb overpopulation

Now ask yourself, bearing in mind what we know about Gates in his business practice. If he wants to control overpopulation, would he do so by trying to save lives? No he wouldn't.

And that is what all this is. These vaccines are not to ensure health. They are there to harm it.

Of course, he has to spend something on clean water, so it looks like he'd doing the right thing. But that's why only the tiniest fraction goes on it, when if he was genuine, it would be at least 75% of his budget.

 

[Blagsta]

Look guys - we all know how microsoft behaved. Do you really, really think that Bill Gates the slightest humanitarian in him? The answer is no.

The Sunday Times revealed - as I've said before about the elite - that Gates' primary concern is overpopulation.
Billionaire club in bid to curb overpopulation

Now ask yourself, bearing in mind what we know about Gates in his business practice. If he wants to control overpopulation, would he do so by trying to save lives? No he wouldn't.

And that is what all this is. These vaccines are not to ensure health. They are there to harm it.

Of course, he has to spend something on clean water, so it looks like he'd doing the right thing. But that's why only the tiniest fraction goes on it, when if he was genuine, it would be at least 75% of his budget.

 

[Blagsta]

The point that he will not do anything that conflicts with Microsoft's interests is a valid one.

At least he's not spending it on weapons, though. Or throwing money at sports teams, paying players millions to entertain him. It could be a lot worse.

I don't doubt that his intentions are genuine. I also don't doubt that he is not in favour if the kind of cooperative, socialist society that I would like.

^
this

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Bill Gates if he was serious which he isn't would abandon all his wealth and place it under direct democratic control of people in all the countries' whose labour he has exploited.

I completely understand this sentiment.

But which people? Handing money to governments isn't giving it over to democratic control, or at least only a little bit democratic. You'd need to build true democracy first.

If for some reason, I were given the amount of money he has, I'd be tempted to take responsibility for it myself too, judging that I can do a better job of spending it wisely than anyone else in the current set up.

 

[sihhi]

I completely understand this sentiment.

But which people? Handing money to governments isn't giving it over to democratic control, or at least only a little bit democratic. You'd need to build true democracy first.

I used the phrase direct democracy - it's a catch all - but it means that people assert themselves and make their own decisions not their masters.

If for some reason, I were given the amount of money he has, I'd be tempted to take responsibility for it myself too, judging that I can do a better job of spending it wisely than anyone else in the current set up.

But you're not ever going to get that money, unless you screw people over on a phenomenal level. That's the whole point - Bill Gates and his family - make the decisions not average Joes.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yes, I agree with that last point. I don't thank Gates for taking all that money and giving some of it back. I understand the logic of not feeling grateful to the robber who steals a tenner from you only to hand back a fiver. And I understand the point about capitalism and charity going together.

To that, I can only say that some capitalists are worse than others. Cadburys were capitalists, but they were better than other capitalists who looked after their workers much less well. I find it hard to get angry at the likes of Cadburys or even Bill Gates. He's no worse than many, many people who set up businesses. It just so happens that he was in the right place at the right age and with the right interests to really cash in.

 

[likesfish]

read an interview he's spent more money on malaria research than the UN have in the last 40 years!!
when he got intrested he phoned up some scientist to ask him about some good books to read bloke gave him a list of highly technical books about two months later ran into gates asked him how the reading was going gates admited he'd only read 25 of the 30 books but he liked this report form the who he had read it twice
blokes funding every possible approach to getting a malaria vaccine.
it I was the malaria bug I'd be looking to move planet you've got as much chance as a selling an office package that isn't microsoft office

 

[rich!]

This is actually wrong, but hey don't worry about that.

Not according to UNESCO. $40Bn circa 2003 to do exactly that. But hey, let's not let facts get in the way of glorifying robber-baron capitalism

 

[Jazzz]

blokes funding every possible approach to getting a malaria vaccine.

it's a load of nonsense, which is unpatentable but that's the last thing the drug companies or Gates would have an interest in.

 

[Blagsta]

it's a load of nonsense, which is unpatentable but that's the last thing the drug companies or Gates would have an interest in.

 

[editor]

it's a load of nonsense, which is unpatentable but that's the last thing the drug companies or Gates would have an interest in.

For fuck's sake. A YouTube link to some tatty video banging on about 'The Miracle Mineral Solution.'

And from the website:

The answer to AIDS, hepatitis A,B and C, malaria, herpes, TB, most cancer and many more of mankind's worse diseases has been found

http://www.miraclemineral.org/

Naturally there's a book available ($10) , a hardback ($32) and a DVD ($30)

 

[Jazzz]

For fuck's sake. A YouTube link to some tatty video banging on about 'The Miracle Mineral Solution.'

And from the website:

Naturally there's a book available ($10) , a hardback ($32) and a DVD ($30)

A hysterical response to challenging information.

 

[strung out]

it's a load of nonsense, which is unpatentable but that's the last thing the drug companies or Gates would have an interest in.

well that's convinced me

 

[editor]

A hysterical response to challenging information.

Do you believe his 'miracle' cure is the answer to AIDS and cancer then? And why do you think he needs to flog off DVDs and books when he could simply post up all the material online for free? Why is that, do you think?

 

[Blagsta]

A hysterical response to challenging information.

 

[mauvais]

Bloody Bill Gates. Where did his money come from? I'll tell you where. Employing sweatshop labour to cut down the rainforest and replace it with radioactive waste, that's where. Isn't it?

 

[Jazzz]

Do you believe his 'miracle' cure is the answer to AIDS and cancer then? And why do you think he needs to flog off DVDs and books when he could simply post up all the material online for free? Why is that, do you think?

He did, when this was first posted on urban75 his pdf was free to download. There's now a charge which goes to promotion of the product, which seems reasonable. The product is sold dirt cheaply. And you get instructions on how to make it yourself.

If only your turned your obsession with following money back where it belongs, to big pharma.

 

[editor]

He did, when this was first posted on urban75 his pdf was free to download. There's now a charge which goes to promotion of the product, which seems reasonable. The product is sold dirt cheaply. And you get instructions on how to make it yourself.

If only your turned your obsession with following money back where it belongs, to big pharma.

What 'promotion'?

And do you believe his 'miracle' cure is the answer to AIDS, hepatitis A,B and C, malaria, herpes, TB and most cancers? A simple YES/NO will suffice.

 

[London_Calling]

It's occasions like this - Gates demonstrating his bountiful generosity - I wonder about what wealth Berners-Lee gave up; had he chosen to set things up differently his wealth would surely have been greater than the Gates' by a magnitude or several.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

There's now a charge which goes to promotion of the product, which seems reasonable. .

How is he promoting it? paying conspiriloons people to post about on message boards?
Free distribution of the knowhow would surely be better and wouldn't cost a penny.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Bill Gates if he was serious which he isn't would abandon all his wealth and place it under direct democratic control of people in all the countries' whose labour he has exploited.

Whose labour has microsoft exploited again?

I understand the logic of not feeling grateful to the robber who steals a tenner from you only to hand back a fiver.

Because you going out and buying windows is stealing from you, I really don't follow that?.

 

[miss minnie]

A hysterical response to challenging information.

MMS2 is in some ways like gravity. You know it works just by learning the information. Research is not needed to prove that. It’s like gravity and dropping an orange. You open your fingers and the orange drops towards the Earth. You don’t need research to prove it. You might drop an orange once or twice, but it’s obvious. Well MMS2 is the same way for many things.

Hmmm, challenging alright.

 

[david dissadent]

Because you going out and buying windows is stealing from you, I really don't follow that?.

Because it convinces you you are handing over cash for a stable operating system

Gates operated with in a system, played it very well. Accumulated a great deal of wealthy and so far as I know did not physicaly harm anyone. Other than some of his software products being used for weapons systems (much to the horror of the IT comunity who would ironicaly prefer the less capitalist systems like variants of Unix as they are more stable) there are people living on my street who have inflicted more human harm than he has.

From a utilitarian perspective he has fucked over a few other capitalist software companies and has spend huge amounts of wealth on improving the lot of the worst of in the world; Id say he is coming out well ahead.

You can complain about the system he has exploited so expertly but I am swallowing 20 years of IT geek tribalism and saying well done that man.

 

[Jazzz]

How is he promoting it? paying conspiriloons people to post about on message boards?
Free distribution of the knowhow would surely be better and wouldn't cost a penny.

and funding clinical trials costs how much?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

and funding clinical trials costs how much?

So surprise surprise it isn't a cure after all then.

 

[editor]

and funding clinical trials costs how much?

Hi.

Do you believe his 'miracle' cure is the answer to AIDS, hepatitis A,B and C, malaria, herpes, TB and most cancers? A simple YES/NO will suffice.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

as software developers microsoft have done some shitty things but i would have though their impact on the third world wouldn't have been huge as their labour market would have been at first primarily american (though i know an english guy who worked for them made a killing with MS stocks) and although they quite possibly outsource a lot of stuff to cheaper labour markets i wouldn't have thought it was actually sweatshop levels

actually you could say they have deplleted govermental money in many countries as it is quite likely the govermewnt would have a computing system running windows... but then you could just blame the goverment for not taking the linux route...

 

[editor]

I would imagine that Microsoft's cheap (and easily pirated) software has helped a lot of third world businesses too.