Gates seeks 'creative capitalism'
UPDATE: The actual speech is available for viewing.
Few people have benefited more from capitalism than Bill Gates.
But these days, Microsoft's chairman is seeing first-hand the failures of the market system and is now calling on businesses to take greater responsibility for those left out in the cold by the free market.
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In a speech Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Gates is calling on companies to think more broadly about how their products can benefit society.
Much of Gates' work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has centered on two particular shortcomings of capitalism--solving health problems that affect only the poor and improving educational systems.
In his speech, Gates calls on businesses to launch "creative capitalism" projects of their own.
"I definitely see, once I'm full time at the foundation, reaching out to various industries--going to cell phone companies, banks and more pharma companies--and talking about how...they can do these things," Gates told The Wall Street Journal in an interview before his speech.
I'm interested to see the reaction to Gates' speech. It is hard to argue that Gates is not practicing what he preaches. In addition to using the bulk of his fortune to address capitalism's shortcomings, Gates is shifting his work toward philanthropy. In July, Gates will step down from full-time work at Microsoft and shift his focus to the foundation.
But it is also true that it took Gates a long time to get to this place--a fact also pointed out in the Journal article. In recent years, the company has launched a broad array of programs to bring its technology to the billions that have been left out of the PC revolution. Some have argued, though, that it was the threats of Linux and piracy, not altruism, that initially prompted Microsoft to expand its mind.
And even as Gates calls on businesses to start addressing capitalism's shortfalls, his company continues to be criticized for abusing its position in the marketplace at the expense of rivals.
Take a look at the Journal's video interview with Gates and sound off on what you think about Gates' notion of "creative capitalism." It's also worth checking out the Journal article, which is filled with interesting details and a look at what's on Gates' bookshelf.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Methinks Bill doeth protest too much.
"IBM, Bankers at Odds Over OS/2 Migration Path
Vendor advises OS/2 users to switch to Linux, but ATM makers are leading push to Windows".
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/story/0,10801,83884,00.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/story/0,10801,83884,00.html</a>
Maybe YOU can do better.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.informationweek.com/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201805226" target="_newWindow">http://www.informationweek.com/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201805226</a>
What would be interesting is - if some Arab dude (like the ones from those oil-rich Middle Eastern countries that flies around in their customized AirBus 380's) or that Mexican dude from the Mexican Telco industry decides to fund the enhancement of OS/2 and grabs market share from Microsoft. Won't that be a nice "Creative Capitalist" scenario. ;-) M :-$
Since,
"IBM, Bankers (were) at Odds Over OS/2 Migration Path
Vendor advises OS/2 users to switch to Linux, but ATM makers are leading push to Windows"
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/story/0,10801,83884,00.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/story/0,10801,83884,00.html</a>
It will always be an OS used in a few things like ATMs and the like.
It will never be mainstream like Windows and Linux.
Sorry about that Spock, but that is the truth.
should remain, strictly up to the owner. And in the case of
Microsoft and every other publicly traded company that is the
stockholders.
As my old Economics professor like to drill into our heads, a
corporation exists for only one purpose - to make money for its
owners. What they do with it is their business.
Hats off to Bill & Melinda for their good works. MS profits may
have made it possible, but it's not the Microsoft Foundation.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://therehearsalstudio.blogspot.com/2008/01/bill.html" target="_newWindow">http://therehearsalstudio.blogspot.com/2008/01/bill.html</a>
Think I am joking? Ask any open-source representative and you will get the full story.
Ever watched the stories how Microsoft deals with its business partners or their competitors? Did you watch how Gate's Miccrosoft is (not quite successfully) trying to bully open-source software companies to pay money to them, because of alleged and un-proofen intellectual propriety claims? Did you look of how Microsoft is trying to stuff down their new MS-OOXML document format down the throat of international standards organizations, with the single purpose of Microsoft's cementing their already dominant market position even more, furthering their monopoly?
Na, if you think Bill Gates is a benevolent man, think again.
Jack Frazer
1) Is MS a monopoly? I do not care what decision the EU reached, they are clearly wrong. Do you have a choice in computer hardware and software? Yes. Have you always? Yes. Monopoly then? No.
2) Does MS defend its patents? Yes. Do other patent holders? Yes. And?
3) MS is trying to standardize OOXML. What is your point? Every standard has some corporate supporter.
All of this Microsoft bashing in the world is silly. If you don't like Microsoft, then use Apple products or Linux. You do have a choice.
made a mess of those.
And then do your own research.
"Usage of eComStation and OS/2 Warp operating systems"
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://en.ecomstation.ru/solutions/?action=solutions" target="_newWindow">http://en.ecomstation.ru/solutions/?action=solutions</a>
Your statement, "Parasites take more than they give in relation to a nation's resources and thus are a drain on the standard of living of a nation." is unfounded. To run with your metaphor, parasites can often provide benefit to their hosts in a state of symbiosis. Maggots and leaches can all provide clinical benefit (look it up). So your statement is false and your conclusion cannot be drawn.
Your other statement, "the parasites die, their genes are lost from the gene pool," is simply cruel and has no basis in fact. Just because a parasite dies doesn't mean their gene is lost from the gene pool, a parasite needs only reproduce before it dies. Genes do not explain everything, there's only about 30,000 in the human genome. There's more subtlety than your metaphor implies in biological mechanisms.
Get your facts straight you cruel beneficiary of the labor, sweat, and honest work of us parasites.
Perhaps the next time Mr Gates gazes out his Windows Visa, excuse me, Vista, he might discover a way to make US college tuitions the same as they are in say Bangalore, India. Then I'd could become convinced that he's not just cutting the fog!
Realist from Sacramento
Let no one be fooled by Bill Gates or by the activities of the Bill and Mellinder Gates Foundation.
Now, this is what I mean by the above assertions. What constitute the BELIEF and MORALITY of capitalists?: Creating effects, claiming that the effects DELIBERATELY and STRATEGICALLY created are causes, and using this godless and anti-people's well-being and life argument to carry out activities that earn them enormous amount of maximised profits, at the cost of people's well-being, life, happiness and peace.
Added to this is that fact that capitalists refuse to deal with causes. This is what Alexander Pope meant when he said that the capitalist is one who over-burdens people with work, denies people all that give moral meaning and purpose to their lives, and claims that he loves his workers and people, and is promoting their well-being and happiness, or wishes to promote their well-being and happiness --- not exactly the words of Pope.
What did Mr. Edward Bellamy say about capitalism and capitalists? Let Bill Gates refer to "Looking Backwards 2000 to 1887" by Mr. Edward Bellamy and into the writings of the anti-capitalists of Mr. Bellamy's time. Let Mr. Gates read what Professor (Dr.) Robert N. Bellah, Pope John Paul 11, and the moral humanists have written about "Moral Ecology" vis-a-vis capitalism.
Let me give a practical illustration of what I have said about cause and effect and Pope's position--- being my argument againt Bill Gates' Ostrichism: I am aware that the Bill and Mellinder Gates Foundation is promoting the production of genetically modified foods and their imposition on the nations of the world and world markets, especially in the nations and the markets of the poor and militarily weak.
They claim that they are philanthropists who are reducing or eradicating poverty and hunger. THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARGE BY Mr. ALEXANDER POPE. How? Hunger and poverty are the EFFECTS of the practice of capitalism. That is, capitalism is the CAUSE of poverty and hunger. Therefore remove or eradicate capitalism and its effect --- poverty and huger --- will automatically die or disappear!!! There is NO alternative to that truth
Let us take NOTE that poverty and hunger are not reduced or eradicated by giving people toxins, carcinogens, mutagens, and allergens as foods. Hunger and poverty are not reduced or eradication by denying people the right and freedom to say and choose what to eat as FOOD.
NO genetically "modified" (poisoned) food has been proved to be safe. None is put through the necessary testing and certification methodology or process, under an independent, moral, spiritual, or moral humanistic bio-science and Food researchers and specialists to establish its safety of before it is sent to the market or consumed by anyone.
YET, NONE OF THE PRODUCERS --- Monsanto, etc --- OR THEIR BIO-SCIENCE RESEARCHERS HAS EVER AGREED TO BE THE SAFETY VERIFICATION ANIMAL.
If Bill Gates is honest about his new found convictions about capitalism, let him do two things or one of them: Go, sell all that he has, give the proceeds from their sale to the poor and miltarily weak govenments of the world --- leaving nothing to him self from the proceeds of their sale, except a house and $10, 000; and, or let him use his accumulated maximised profits to tackle the causes of diseases and deaths --- CAPITALISM AND GENETIC ENGINEERING APPLICATION TO THE PRODUCTION OF FOODS, DRUGS, VACCINES, ETC.
This should be done by forming a cartel with other capitalists and using the cartel to persuade or compel the government of the USA, the father and godless imposer of capitalism on the rest of the governments and the nations of the world, to give up capitalism in all its forms, and to change to socialism or communalism.
As my summary, if Bill Gates is honest and serious, he should help to eradicate CAUSE --- that is CAPITALISM -- and stop dealing with EFFECTS --- that is, hunger, poverty, diseases and deaths. And he should help implant SOCIALISM.
It is right to recommend that wall of saparetion of church and state (political structures) -- the American origin of SECULARISM --- should be destroyed also as it is the prop of capitalism.
Capitalism is evil, anti-God, anti-religion, anti-morality and spirituality, anti-the good of the people, and, therefore, it is godless, satanic, inhuman, irrational, and condemnable
Prince Pieray C. P Odor
Independent Researcher and Public Good Promoter
Lagos, Nigeria
When he wasn't giving it away, you called him greedy. Now that he is, you ***** about that.
Give it up, and worry about your own $20.
I applaud Bill, and just about everything he does now. He'll be great at being a philanthropist as well.
I'm just sorry he's leaving Microsoft.
By the way the American way has helped Americans become very well educated but hasen't been perfect in benefiting peoples well roundedness (somthing perhaps better opening up to the world might help)
Year the problem.
Theres still far to much insecurity and false discrimination of people.
Theres still to much tribalism and a lack of real insight as to how the future should unfold.
Yes it's up to Business people to prop up the world with care.
However think about how long it's taken this man to get to this point where he can say this and how many rich men have failed and become cinical and uncreative down their roads.
Not just that amoungst individuals who aren't so rich there has been a growing dependancy on the state causing an unhealty and unbalanced world in terms of healthy cultural individutation (the thought is still mostly forbin) and also not the best of understandings on how to innovate well in relation to the worlds efforts (that well roundedness argument again).
This leads to people with money who do not have enough mental strengh to trully rise to the challanges and allow the world to benefit properly from growth.
Put simply whats the point in being rich if you don't have your health and get bullied into cults that don't trully represent your desires for your Earth to bocome more.
Far to much money goes down the drain this way.
So take those tinted glasses of envy off that just see money or corruption and realize that it's all nature in actiion nothing more.
Oh and yes i know damn well it costs millions to keep me personally away from becomming a millionare myself and thats not to say i won't eventually get there.
Final note.
Down with mind control up with nature.
If you want that successful businessman not to be called a parasite anymore, he should shift his priorities and do with 2 homes, 3 cars, 2 tv's and 1 jet (More than enough to live comfortably no?) and invest the rest in usefull projects.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.edc-online.org/" target="_newWindow">http://www.edc-online.org/</a>
- by htreacy August 4, 2008 8:12 AM PDT
- This review is very misleading. Read the actual Time article:
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(29 Comments)<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1828069,00.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1828069,00.html</a>