Earlier quoted context omitted.
You'll be surprised how many people ignore Gates Foundation's deep involvement on ending Polio
The problem with ending polio is primarily with religious fundamentalists in Pakistan, who spread rumors that all western-funded vaccination programs are a secret plot by the CIA to sterilize people, or some similar nonsense. https://ourworldindata.org/polio
AMA: Bill Gates
41–50 of 178 posts
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
in other words, war is dangerous and he pays too little tax. i think too they are platitudes.
What is an example of a response to a question that wouldn't be a platitude? Big-G tells me that "platitude" means: a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful. He was asked: What do you think the greatest threat to humanity is at this moment? And responded: There are some things that aren't likely but we should worry about - nuclear bombs a…
What you're not considering: the person doing the AMA chooses which questions to answer.
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
The problem with ending polio is primarily with religious fundamentalists in Pakistan, who spread rumors that all western-funded vaccination programs are a secret plot by the CIA to sterilize people, or some similar nonsense. https://ourworldindata.org/polio
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vacci...
yes, I'm aware. The anti-vaccine nonsense was going on long before this became public knowledge in 2011. The same ideology of fundamentalists who were behind the events surrounding the siege of the lal masjid in 2007 were spreading the "westerners want to sterilize your children" stuff since at least the early 1990s.
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
You think the BGMF publicist decided to say Gates watches American Vandal and has a trampoline room in his house?
Publicist sure, no. But this has been totally sanitized by Bill when he makes as one example statements like this: [1] > 'The other thing is that I sometimes use a private jet. It does help me do my foundation work but again it is a very privileged thing to have.' He inserts the word 'sometimes' to lessen the impact of 'private jet'. He adds that it helps him do foundation work implying that that should make it ok in…
Gates apparently flied coach until about 1997. I'm not his biggest fan, but I find that interesting about him.
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
You think the BGMF publicist decided to say Gates watches American Vandal and has a trampoline room in his house?
Publicist sure, no. But this has been totally sanitized by Bill when he makes as one example statements like this: [1] > 'The other thing is that I sometimes use a private jet. It does help me do my foundation work but again it is a very privileged thing to have.' He inserts the word 'sometimes' to lessen the impact of 'private jet'. He adds that it helps him do foundation work implying that that should make it ok in…
If this is the same guy who was talking in front of congress and refusing to say that java was seen as a threat to MS 20 years ago, I believe he's capable of giving sanitized answers without a publicist. He's had years and years and years of practice. I hardly see a reddit AMA where you can choose your questions and response timing as much of a threat to someone like Bill. Sure, if it was musk but it's not.
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
Publicist sure, no. But this has been totally sanitized by Bill when he makes as one example statements like this: [1] > 'The other thing is that I sometimes use a private jet. It does help me do my foundation work but again it is a very privileged thing to have.' He inserts the word 'sometimes' to lessen the impact of 'private jet'. He adds that it helps him do foundation work implying that that should make it ok in…
Gates apparently flied coach until about 1997. I'm not his biggest fan, but I find that interesting about him.
I remember that.
That is a technique that is often used to impose frugality and get savings [1] out of the rest of the execs by setting an example. If he flies coach well then so do a hundred others.
[1] I knew a guy who owned a small company and bought a low end car until he had locked up his union contract. He knew if he was seen with a nice car it was going to cost him a boat load.
Likewise in my old school company years ago I never even drove up to the business in my nice car and I went out of my way to hide it's existence. It goes along with staying late and arriving early to set an example.
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#47I feel like every other month Gates guest edits the Verge or has an interview there. Or I see his annual letter all over LinkedIn, or an AMA... He gets so much exposure I imagine because he’s a “good billionaire trying to fix the world.” I guess it’s the most we can hope for these days from our growing class of ultra wealthy, but I really don’t think that means they should get the right to shout their opinions at us…
There will come a time in history when Microsoft will be looked back on as an evil company who gave up all it's users personal data to big GOV. Bill doesn't want this to be his legacy. He wants to be remembered as a philanthropist, not as historys biggest sellout.
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#48I wonder, if Gates was still driving Windows development would Windows 10 still spy on users and restrict their ability to control updates like it does with Nadella at the helm?
Yes I remember Gates was a true Saint when he was running Microsoft.
LOL, your humor is much appreciated. :-)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/No-Bull-Bill-Gate...
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
What is an example of a response to a question that wouldn't be a platitude? Big-G tells me that "platitude" means: a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful. He was asked: What do you think the greatest threat to humanity is at this moment? And responded: There are some things that aren't likely but we should worry about - nuclear bombs a…
I don't know if they are platitudes but they just sound like some generic PR drivel. Take from that what you will.
I'm curious what kind of answer you would consider "not PR drivel." Specifically, if sounds like there is nothing Bill Gates could write that you would consider genuine.
Re: AMA: Bill Gates
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is a platitude when someone like Gates says they want more taxes because, the Treasury has a means for anyone to send a check for whatever amount they want. If he wants to write a $2b check to the treasury, he could do that today. What he is really saying is that other people should be required to pay more taxes — or alternatively, it’s just an empty platitude to endear himself with leftist anti-rich intellectuals…
Because micro solutions to macro problems never work. Gates could pay his entire net worth into the treasury and it does not fix a fundamentally broken system. Gates is commenting on how the ultra rich like him make most of their money from capital gains, which are not taxed at normal income tax rates. If capital gains were simply taxed like income taxes, it would be a huge blow against income inequality this country…
Bill Gates writing billion dollar checks is not exactly micro.” He could lead by example and encourage other billionaires to write checks as well. He could start the change he wants to see. When these kinds of billionaires start actually writing checks, then maybe I’ll take their platitudes seriously. It’s like Al Gore flying in a private jet while telling everyone else that flying commercial is killing the planet. If things were so dire, they would be leading by example. Al Gore taking public transportation and living in a 1000sf apartment would do more to convince people than preaching from the pulpit. Al Gore is no different than a televangelist: he speaks to people about the dangers of excess while living a life of excess. The private jets and limos at the various climate conferences is another example. Practice what you preach and then maybe I’ll listen. Fat people telling everyone else to lose weight is simply hypocritical.