Gates' speech on creative capitalism creates stir

It remains to be seen how much Bill Gates' plea for creative capitalism changes the face of business, but it has certainly sparked a considerable amount of discussion at Davos and elsewhere.

It is common for the topic of the poor to come up at the gathering of the mega-rich known as the World Economic Forum. But the notion that businesses themselves are responsible, at least in part, for solving poverty has gained increased attention at this year's forum, according to reports coming out of the Swiss ski resort town.

According to Marketwatch, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a May summit in London where business leaders will explore ways in which corporations can work to combat poverty.

While many are applauding Gates' call, others say that the role of business is making money, not curing societal ills. For those wanting to hear more on each argument, check out our point-counterpoint on the matter, with CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos arguing that Gates is right, while Declan McCullagh says the Microsoft chairman is off-base.

[lostincosmos]

gates is right.....and others will follow

business isn't supposed to solve poverty, per se, but it's high time that people recognized that businesses have obligations to the communities they settle in/employ/sell things to.

helping those in the cities you are in is good for everyone, and those who follow this new mantra i think will be paid back in good will, attention and likely profits as well.

[Penguinisto]

Well, if that's true...

...then how come the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation won't give tech-based charity dollars to an organization (e.g. the Mexican Government) unless the recipients use Windows exclusively?

/P

[y82whs]

Gates lecturing on corporate responsibility??

The guy who ran the company that the EU said blatantly ignored their orders? The company found guilty of antitrust in the US? The company that paid Sun, AOL, RealNetworks, etc., billions for anticompetitive actions?
And yes, these regulations are in place to protect consumers, NOT corporations.
And what can he cite as having done on the positive side at MSFT while running it? Yes, I know he plans to give away billions, but that has nothing to do with how he ran MSFT.

[theabsurdsoldier]

huh??

The rich complain that governments screw up what they attempt to fix and that the private sector should be in charge and then when they have an opportunity to be in charge everyone whines that it isn't the place of private capital to fix the social.

Whose responsibility is it then? Are we to just continue with the same strategy and trajectory?

In a democratic society, it is quite apparent that it is the responsibility and right of the citizen, through government, to enforce the social contract that is, in this day and age, quite explicit.

It is the will of the people to govern their respective societies as they see fit through the ballot box and NOT the economic marketplace that defines democracy. This is quite definitional. Otherwise, we'd be operating in pure "marketplace" without political rights and will, which smacks of tyranny.

Fortunately for me I have equal political rights, because economically I am without any power compared to these people.

I WILL NOT vote with my dollars ... for my dollars aren't worth as much as say, Bill Gates', but my vote is. His money might buy more influence than mine dollar for dollar, but his vote equals exactly mine.

[theantibush]

thats the prob

The Constitution says ?All men are created equal?. Maybe true, but they never stay equal.

As long as 1 citizen equals 1 vote, subprime mob rules.

[bj1126]

Better companies than government

Good for him better companies do it voluntarily where they have a vested interest in the outcome rather than the government do a **** poor job of it.

[theantibush]

true

Government does a poor job because it is a socialist work program. In government, all you have to do is survive the first year and then its almost impossible to fire you. The result is legions of overpaid doughnut suckers that couldn't survive in the private sector (and they know it).

Government work should be limited to 5 years or less for the majority of workers, to keep the incompetence from backing up like a plugged toilet.

[theantibush]

typical human

It took Bill a little over 50 years to figure that out, which is cool...and typical.

We are gaining increasingly dangerous ideas and technologies, with the potential
for great harm.

Its time that serious work be done to increase the human life span, so that we don?t have ?children? (people under 100) running things on this planet.

By the time people figure things out, they are gone...and a new generation of complete idiots comes in and picks up even more destructive power.

This has got to stop, or it will stop us all.

[Josh Viney]

Corporate responsibility is good for business

Corporate responsibility is part of any customer-centric approach to business, and who can deny that understanding who your customers are, empathizing with them, and working to provide products that meet their actual needs is bad for business?

Also consider the new markets that can be opened up, customer relationships that can be built, and positive PR that can be generated. It is definitely a longer-term investment than many US companies tend to take, but I believe it is generally worth the investment. Besides, it's good to be good.

[Draq Wraith]

Anyone have the text of what BG had to sa?

I'm too deaf to care to try to lip read all that crap through choppy digital TV and i am still on dial up.
Yes seriously.

Thanks
D~W