The older Gates gets the more dangerous he appears to become.
According to FT, he has announced the creation of “Global Citizen”, a new social network for volunteers and activists who want to become more involved in the "fight against global poverty."
“People want to stand for more than just themselves or their country. They want to think about how they’re connected to something that is lifting up those in the toughest situations,” he said, predicting the network could lead to 10 times more global activists.
Just how do volunteers fight poverty?
You fight poverty by stopping government interference in commerce and allowing people to work. This is basic economics that even Milton Friedman understood. Ending regulations and programs such as minimum wage laws, job licensing requirements and welfare programs is all that is needed (SEE: Milton Friedman on the Minimum Wage and Milton Friedman on the Responsibility to the Poor)
Volunteers are of no help in such efforts, free marekt businessmen are the only ones that can help raise income.
Is it possible that Gates doesn't understand this? Or does he have another agenda?
-RW
I guess he is competing with Soros who will be launching the "Global Governance" social network where all the Statist bastards of the world can get together and decide how to screw poor people.
ReplyDeleteIs it a coincidence that the ultra-wealthy often favor state intervention?
ReplyDeleteThe dogooders of the world pursue this stuff with the enthusiasm and effectiveness of cargo cults building airstrips.
ReplyDeleteWho is John Frum?
DeleteA Brief "History" of Bill Gates and Microsoft:
ReplyDelete1. Buy DOS 1.0 for $5000. "You didn't build that!"
2. In competition with Digital Research and DRDOS? Get exclusive Pre-Load Agreements with every manufacturer, big or small.
3. Visit the Xerox Group at Palo Alto and *use* their work (as Apple did) to build Windows 3.1. Treat every competitor with disdain - They are, after all, Stoopit.
4. Approach compliant Press to fawn over 3.1. At the time, when Business Apps were being written for the "Toy" OS (DOS), a disgruntled employee could have walked into any business running DOS and typed "fdisk /u" and cleaned the Hard-Drive. Back-Up Software? Gotta Pay. " 'N what's this Virus stuff I'm readin' about?...".
5. Unix was Big Iron and the fees were proportionate. "No need for catering to the little guy. There is no little guy...". There was no Linux yet, Apple was Apple and everything had a cost to implement.
6. Windows was not excepted here as each new roll-out was incompatible with the previous iteration - You must Upgrade everything including necessary word processing programs and the like.
7. At this point, the "magazine" Computer Shopper, was as thick as a large metropolitan phone book. Each month! 'N every computer ran Windows.
8. There was a saying, "Those who do not understand Unix are doomed to rediscover it". Windows attempts to provide a little security with what became known as "Windows for Warehouses". Not to mention "Bob". The fact that these are useless products doesn't matter. It's Windows. That's all that matters now.
9a. Linux begins to get some notice and immediately gets into a "Purity Issue" as a few programmers begin to develop an interface that works. HORRORS! The "Toolkit" that provides the Parts for the interface is based on the QT Toolkit, WHICH IS A TOOLKIT THAT PEOPLE PAY MONEY TO LICENSE!!!
OMG!!!
"From each according to his abilities, to Gates for everything else".
9b. Jobs is kicked out at Apple and uses one of the BSD Unixes to manufacture the "Next" Computer.
10. In the best Business Sense, Gates found a Market, bought something cheap that someone else had created as a "Toy", parlayed his $5000 into a Monopoly and become the richest man in the world. Then, Gates became an Advocate for spending other people's money.
It's as old as business.
CW
Gates built an effective and legal business leveraging first-mover advantage, openness, voluntary contracts, and network effects. His company tried a lot of things, some of which worked and some of which didn't, which is par for the course for any entity, is it not. I've experienced both on a professional level over more than 30 years of using Microsoft products.
ReplyDeleteGates was also a privileged lefty from birth.
Just because a person is good at one thing doesn't mean said person isn't utterly clueless about anything--or everything--else. Think of him as a high-functioning autistic, a Rain Man, if you will.
RPC
I don't disagree with you at all. See, for example:
Deletehttps://books.google.com/books?id=aSnUsOdUmbEC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=jefferson++railroad+barons&source=bl&ots=pFPPUhqTpB&sig=7yK4uX4fAn5Xkq7cfvo0eZ1XBtY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3E_BVNepL8mqggSe9YOADQ&ved=0CFIQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=jefferson%20%20railroad%20barons&f=false
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Gould
CW