news.yahoo.com— The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has said it will spend all its assets within 50 years of them both dying, as the trustees want to focus the foundation's work in the 21st century.
Dec 1, 2006View in Crawl 4
"These are not the people I grew up with! These are old people who are trying to go to heaven now!" - Bill CosbyI thought the above quote was fitting for this situation. I think it's important that those who hold most of the wealth in the world disseminate it in one fashion or another. Something I think that is important, and what I think should happen, is for businesses and corporations to learn the word, "enough." Bill Gates has picked up on that, just as Warren Buffet, and even smaller companies, who may still be trying to generate profits, but are trying to, if anything, maintain ecologically sustainable businesses. I guess the idea I'm getting at is that it's time for a paradigm of businesses and corporations that realize there are other things to life than the bottom line.
"Gates' fortune, plus Buffett's fortune, dedicated to things like eradicating the developing world of deadly diseases, will have a HUGE impact on many more things that -- dare I say it -- are even more important than whether ubuntu is better than Windows, or the cathedral or the bazaar will ultimately win. "It doesn't matter how philanthropic they are, the fact is capitalism has been holding back real solutions to complex world problems the world over, go read some articles by www.monthlyreview.org -- While philanthropy is good, all the things they give away do not effect their ability to feed and cloth themselves, once you're beyond 60-100K /year mark you are home free in terms of being able to live comfortably with an above average standard of living. Rich people NEVER have to risk money that might effect their survival. huge difference.Then come back and tell me how great these philanthropists are. There are tonnes of examples that the economic system itself is at the root problem of poverty.
AIDS was created in the 70's by the military, along with a cure. This foundation is just a scam to fool people into thinking Bill Gates is a humanitarian. If he's such a good guy, why doesn't he simply demand that the cure and the truth about AIDS be released to the general public?AIDS: 'The Manufactured Virus'<a class="user" href="http://www.apfn.org/apfn/aids.htm">http://www.apfn.org/apfn/aids.htm</a>
Are you really that delusional to think that corporations, such as Microsoft, are making third world countries worse or making "first" world countries worse? Please enlighten us to the logic behind your premise that companies do this, specifically Microsoft.If you had your way, the government would take 90% of our income, redistribute it as it saw fit, and we would all be in poverty.
to spend down your endowment is a unique model, and one that I think is very admirable. Most foundations philanthropic goals get clouded internally when their main priority is actually growing an endowment and getting bigger. The B&MGF will have a life-span of almost 100 years, and will be far more effective and focused by focusing on spending the money, not growing it. Besides after 100 years, the goals and focus of the foundation become irrelevant as the globe faces new problems.
grumpyrainDec 2, 2006
> "Why was I modded down??> I wasn't being sarcastic."Because you can't spell Robin Hood - schmuck.
harmonicDec 2, 2006
@NoTiG:go become an hero.
optigonDec 2, 2006
"These are not the people I grew up with! These are old people who are trying to go to heaven now!" - Bill CosbyI thought the above quote was fitting for this situation. I think it's important that those who hold most of the wealth in the world disseminate it in one fashion or another. Something I think that is important, and what I think should happen, is for businesses and corporations to learn the word, "enough." Bill Gates has picked up on that, just as Warren Buffet, and even smaller companies, who may still be trying to generate profits, but are trying to, if anything, maintain ecologically sustainable businesses. I guess the idea I'm getting at is that it's time for a paradigm of businesses and corporations that realize there are other things to life than the bottom line.
datastorageguyDec 2, 2006
How much has Linus Torvalds given to charity?
frozen1Dec 3, 2006
"Gates' fortune, plus Buffett's fortune, dedicated to things like eradicating the developing world of deadly diseases, will have a HUGE impact on many more things that -- dare I say it -- are even more important than whether ubuntu is better than Windows, or the cathedral or the bazaar will ultimately win. "It doesn't matter how philanthropic they are, the fact is capitalism has been holding back real solutions to complex world problems the world over, go read some articles by www.monthlyreview.org -- While philanthropy is good, all the things they give away do not effect their ability to feed and cloth themselves, once you're beyond 60-100K /year mark you are home free in terms of being able to live comfortably with an above average standard of living. Rich people NEVER have to risk money that might effect their survival. huge difference.Then come back and tell me how great these philanthropists are. There are tonnes of examples that the economic system itself is at the root problem of poverty.
vguardDec 3, 2006
AIDS was created in the 70's by the military, along with a cure. This foundation is just a scam to fool people into thinking Bill Gates is a humanitarian. If he's such a good guy, why doesn't he simply demand that the cure and the truth about AIDS be released to the general public?AIDS: 'The Manufactured Virus'<a class="user" href="http://www.apfn.org/apfn/aids.htm">http://www.apfn.org/apfn/aids.htm</a>
datastorageguyDec 3, 2006
Are you really that delusional to think that corporations, such as Microsoft, are making third world countries worse or making "first" world countries worse? Please enlighten us to the logic behind your premise that companies do this, specifically Microsoft.If you had your way, the government would take 90% of our income, redistribute it as it saw fit, and we would all be in poverty.
redbearduhDec 6, 2006
If aids was created in the 70s why did it exist in the 50s? Oh wait, you're a f**king retard./end discussion
deproductionSep 15, 2008
to spend down your endowment is a unique model, and one that I think is very admirable. Most foundations philanthropic goals get clouded internally when their main priority is actually growing an endowment and getting bigger. The B&MGF will have a life-span of almost 100 years, and will be far more effective and focused by focusing on spending the money, not growing it. Besides after 100 years, the goals and focus of the foundation become irrelevant as the globe faces new problems.