>Hotep
>
>It is no mere coincidence that
>most of the world's philanthropists
>and/or humanitarians are the richest
>capitalists around. Carnegie, Rockefeller,
>Rhodes were all "great" humanitarians.
> This image is just
>a public ploy and part
>of the rhetorical ethic of
>Western culture to show that
>these persons who have made
>it through capitalism are virtuous
>and generous.

They exploited workers who had to work under substandard conditions, I don't think Microsoft employees have it that bad

However the
>real deal is that capitalism
>is a system based on
>exploitation and domination of the
>fellow wo/man. Any piece of
>the pie given by those
>individuals, including the GAtes and
>Turners of today, is show
>small and neglilible that it
>has no bearing on their
>character other than to show
>that they are truly Western
>to the core by their
>rhetorical natures.

He's western, true, but I personally am satisfied to an extent with his capitalism. He is helping out the black community not by giving charity, but by giving computers, a key to knowledge. Who has really had to suffer for his gain? The people that buy his computers? Yea, they have glitches and bugs occasionally, but no one is going into poverty buying them or making them (see Nike and Air Jordan shoes).


>
>Sure the money can help those
>in need but overall it
>is not indicative of "generosity"
>in the characters of those
>who exploit a system that
>benefits from impoverishing others in
>the first place. Also
>the money is not meant
>to truly end poverty or
>at least impede it since
>capitalism is the reason why
>so many are impoverished and
>exploited today.

I think that his constant new innovations are actually something to help the whole society prosper, even if the motive is money in his pocket. He donated to get the govt off his company's back, but he really helped people out in the process.

>Oh yeah Carnegie, Rockefeller and Rhodes
>all benefitted from the European
>colonization of Africa which futhered
>their wealth. That's like
>taking away someone's house and
>then giving them a tent
>to live in when it
>starts raining.

Since when did he exploit Africa or anything of that source (Gates I mean)? Didn't someone post that... well I'll just cut+paste
ArLa
Jan-16-01, 11:32 AM (EST)
14. "read an article lately"
that said that he had been to Africa, the most poverty striken regions, and said on his return that as a father he felt morally obligated to donate and how computers (gasp!) are all well and good but they can't feed a starving child and how he felt that attention should b focused on eliminating or alleviating world poverty and he was donating to kick it off.