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$1.5 billion from Bill Gates
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by satchmo on Wed Jan 26th at 3:56pm 2005

He's done it again. Another $750 million to the vaccine initiative from good ol' Bill, and this is after an initial $750 million in 1997. This amount will make him into the most generous private donor ever. He donated a separate $1 billion to minority seeking a technological education a few years back.

So, after all said and done, does his seeming generosity make him a better person in most people's eyes? He potentially saved thousands of lives of children in developing nations, and this isn't a wild estimate.
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by RaPtoR on Wed Jan 26th at 4:02pm 2005

? quote:
Ok, i admit that my last argument was pathetic.




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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by fraggard on Wed Jan 26th at 4:06pm 2005

That doesn't make his contribution any less valuable, RaPtoR. It's a lot more than many others have done, even when they have been able to.




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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Mephs on Wed Jan 26th at 4:12pm 2005

I was watching channel 4 news yesterday evening, and it was suggested that Gate's contribution would spur on countries to increase their own contributions, so its not just the money he gave, but what others will do by example/shaming. I think the figure needed for 90% of the worlds children to be immunised is 8 billion, which is an extremely small ammount for something so vital.

I don't hate Bill Gates anymore, I'm focusing all my hate on Steam.

[edit] unless you need to register your vaccinations online, in order to get updates for new life threatening illnesses.

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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Andrei on Wed Jan 26th at 4:27pm 2005

Gill Bates? Capitalist dirtbag !
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Adam Hawkins on Wed Jan 26th at 4:31pm 2005

Perhaps he should be using some of his 'well-earnt' millions to increase the quality of Xboxes. I've had to send mine for back for repair already - after only two weeks of having the damn thing.

Honestly though, I think in donating his money he's doing a good thing - but you can't help but wonder what the motivation was.

  • Was it to raise his public profile?
  • More money than he knows what to do with?
  • He's genuinely a nice guy and doesn't like others to suffer...

Either way, give the man a banana

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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Andrei on Wed Jan 26th at 4:38pm 2005

*tosses Bill banana shaped grenade*
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Leperous on Wed Jan 26th at 4:44pm 2005

? quoting RaPtoR
Yeah, but that's still a pathetic sum for him.

You say that, but you don't know how much personal fortune he actually has. Jeez, he's donated billions of dollars, and all you can do is worry if he's doing it to make people like him more or whatever- who bloody cares, when it's saving millions of lives?!





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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Andrei on Wed Jan 26th at 4:52pm 2005

I've heard that some time ago, a hacker was feeding on Bill's money. He kept extracting "minor" sums like 100.000$ from his bank account(s) for months. Nobody would have noticed if the hacker wouldn't have attemptet to steal 500.000$. THAT caught someone's attention and the hacker is currently serving his 30 years of detention.
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by $loth on Wed Jan 26th at 5:31pm 2005

? quote:
? quoting RaPtoR
Yeah, but that's still a pathetic sum for him.

You say that, but you don't know how much personal fortune he actually has. Jeez, he's donated billions of dollars, and all you can do is worry if he's doing it to make people like him more or whatever- who bloody cares, when it's saving millions of lives?!



Only Bill Gates can be shouted at for donating a large some of money to help those less fortunate.
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by DrGlass on Wed Jan 26th at 5:38pm 2005

Think of how much good could come from a re-distribution of wealth from people like bill gates to the lower rung of society? Also, what if the $160 billion spent on the war (bush wants another $80 billion for the 'war' [even though we won over a year ago]) and spent that money on schools? Maybe if we took the surpluse of money from wealthy schools and spread that around to minority- errr... I mean less privlaged schools.

That of course wont happen and dosn't change the fact that what gates is doing is good.
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by ReNo on Wed Jan 26th at 5:44pm 2005

It disgusts me that people can insult the guy when he gives as much as he does - I'll bet he donates a far higher percentage of his earnings than anybody who criticses him, yet they still say its a "nothing" sum for him. Everybody's hatred of the guy seems to stem from jealousy, its quite pathetic.
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by $loth on Wed Jan 26th at 6:37pm 2005

? quote:
Its quite pathetic.


Tis what I say about these "1337 g33ks" in my computing class who ALWAYs slag off MS. Yet I don't think one of them has any other operating system.
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by RaPtoR on Wed Jan 26th at 6:38pm 2005

Ok, i admit that my last argument was pathetic.

I don't like donations, well they help, but helps from the "wrong direction". African children is not starving to death becouse they get to little charity-money. It's the influence of capitalism that's striked them, and since Bill Gates is a BIG icon of capitalism, he's still more minus than plus.

To not like him cuz he's got a lot of money IS a BAD reaon.
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Cash Car Star on Wed Jan 26th at 7:29pm 2005

It's not some theoretical "influence of capitalism" that's placed the more desperate African nations in their current situation. There are many factors including:

  • Lack of political stability
  • Local hoarding of resources
  • Poor industrial infrastructure development following WWII
  • Overpopulation
  • Pollution, especially of water supply
  • Disease
  • Genocide
  • Rebel factions
  • Debt
  • Lingering consequences of slavery and racism
  • Too much weaponry lying around, begging to be used

Capitalism is not about exploiting people, as you seem to think. It is about market-regulated pricing and private and corporate ownership, which are neutral concepts at worst.





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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Mephs on Wed Jan 26th at 7:33pm 2005

Oh come on! NOONE hates Gates for being "a BIG icon of capitalism". Its just because most people use his OS, and its simpler to blame one guy for everything. Its a corporation, so think-tanks, board meetings, customer feedback (not the kind he normally gets with letters cut out of magazines or written in blood by irate nerds thrown through his castle window) etc. shape the way its sold to us. So what if he gets filthy rich? Where would we be without him? The internet would only consist of absolute geeks, and it would be completely s**t. For people that actually have a life, Microsoft is fine.

The fact that we really have hatred for a guy who designed the OS we use is terrifyingly sad: We don't totally despise Rupert Murdoch. HE is a capitalist icon as much as Gates, and in many ways moreso, feeding 'fair and balanced' news to Americans. His media feeds Republican propaganda, and quite possibly the reason Bush got reelected, and all that warmongering goodness that comes with it).

Bill Gates isn't the greatest humanitarian in the world and no doubt, but do not knock a generous donation of this magnatude, no matter if it came out of Satans ass itself.

[/generic angst]

? quote:
I'll bet he donates a far higher percentage of his earnings than anybody who criticses him, yet they still say its a "nothing" sum for him.


Exactly, Reno. If you haven't given as much in donations relative to your own money, you're actually MORE of a capitalist. Just a much poorer one.

Now STEAM on the other hand....
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Gwil on Wed Jan 26th at 7:43pm 2005

Poor industrial infrastructure development following WWII ? They didnt have any anyway Let alone any to get destroyed in a war that barely touched the continent!


The problems in Africa stem largely from never end war, the influence of religion on reproduction issues and the legacy of colonialism. If you want to slam capitalism, don't attack it as a whole - it shows a great naivety to how the world HAS to work.

Make your attacks on celebrity culture, advertising and out of control consumerism #

Fair play to Mr Gates, I was a bit suss at first - and it is probably also a good reason for a tax write off, but him and his wife do a ton of stuff for really worthwhile charities. So tax write off or not, he should be applauded. Perhaps it will encourage other financially well endowed citizens of the world to give generously.

The real issue (not so much here) is why money is used as the solution to national, and international problems. Paving over the cracks of crumbling foundations only holds water for so long.

But yeah, good on Mr Gates!
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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by Cash Car Star on Wed Jan 26th at 7:51pm 2005

There was actually a move to industrialize many countries following WWII by some of the Western nations. Problem is, giving an automobile plant to Sudan is worthless if they don't have the materials or technology to fix equipment when it breaks nor the educated labor force necessary to troubleshoot or create profitable innovations. Following a "generous" donation of capital period (which helped start the debt problem as well), the technology lagged behind until it became sheer deadweight. Without the debt situation, it's possible there would be positive effects towards other more visible problems such as infighting, education (higher education has been linked with a lower, sustainable birthrate) and disease. It wouldn't fix things outright but it'd sure help.



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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by fishy on Wed Jan 26th at 8:09pm 2005

if you dont like Gates because he's rich, then his donation shouldn't alter your view. he's still richer than anyone here will ever be.

if you think that the charity he donated to is worthwhile, then be glad, because this is a HUGE amount for ANY individual to be donating.

so his OS has bugs, big deal. cars have been getting broken into since they first hit the streets. usually they get broken into through windows too, but you dont see people hating the fucpkig that invented stupid glass.

[edit] capital investment into a lot of countries doesn't exist because of problems with endemic diseases. money spent on stabalizing the general health of a population, is money well spent not only on health.[/edit]

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 Re: $1.5 billion from Bill Gates
Posted by thursday- on Wed Jan 26th at 8:19pm 2005

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It disgusts me that people can insult the guy when he gives as much as he does - I'll bet he donates a far higher percentage of his earnings than anybody who criticses him, yet they still say its a "nothing" sum for him. Everybody's hatred of the guy seems to stem from jealousy, its quite pathetic.


I'm with this comment, Bill Gates has donated alot worldwide. Just because he doesn't make it all public, doesn't mean he isn't giving.
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