For those who think that nationalism is the threat, rather than transnationalism, consider this:
“Bill Gates, America’s richest man with a net worth of $50 billion, has a personal balance sheet larger than the gross domestic product (GDP) of 140 countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bolivia and Uruguay. The Microsoft ( MSFT – news – people ) visionary’s nest egg is just short of the GDP of Tanzania and Burma.”
More here at Forbes.
Bill Gates is probably the last person you should have used as an example for that point — since he and his company are probably the most peaceful ever. (Peronally I detest their products, but am perfectly free to not use them, and indeed don’t use them. At all.) Although, relative to nationalism, I bet even the worst corporation would seem a pacifist and humble servant of it’s customers.
Actually, you’re completely wrong. Microsoft is a monopolist that’s used police force to enforce its license and Gates has a huge and corrupt influence on media.
Regarding enforcement of licensing — they are merely contracts (albeit concerning Imaginary Property) — there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. (Except it’s effective uneforceability.)
And I don’t buy the “influencing media” argument at all, since ultimately we are actually in control of that. (Of what media outlets we patronage, or to be our own media outlets ourselves if we so choose.) I would hardly chastise a company for promoting a biased image of itself. “The media” is not responsible for informing us — we are.
Gate is pretty benevolent. Besides, he isn’t a part of Microsoft anymore.
Hi –
Here’s a piece I did a while back on Microsoft..
and its philanthropy
http://www.counterpunch.org/rajiva10272005.html
And yes, I know corporations don’t make direct use of force. But they use other things that are anti-libertarian, fraud, and coercion through fraud…
I don’t buy the notion that monopolies are that easy to achieve minus the state.
And using the government to extend and enforce monopolies is pretty antilibertarian.
I can’t be assuaged by anyone’s philanthropy. It’s the Jeffrey Levitt model of social respectability again.at a more refined level (Gates, I mean)
It’s not as awful as the other stuff he has pulled, but still pretty unusual:
Bill Gates having actual sleepovers with tech journalists. Journalists would be getting something for breakfast and Bill Gates would enter the kitchen in a robe.
http://news.cnet.com/The-Micro-soft-shoe/2010-1071_3-281070.html
“After only two years, the event has become something of a status symbol. At least one reporter begged for an invitation to Uncle Bill’s sleepover again this year, even though he was no longer on the Microsoft beat, Allison said.”
Thanks for that..
Had no idea.
As I said, the real problem is the media.
There was a time, when journalists were ink-stained wretches who were used to having their papers shut down and facing off on the phone with corrupt CEOs..
Now it’s different..
They’re all bought and sold.
What time was that? Have you heard of “John Pilger” or “Lila Rajiva”? If someone chooses to get their news from foxnews.com instead of indymedia.org, whose fault is it?
“…If someone chooses to get their news from foxnews.com instead of indymedia.org, whose fault is it?” Hmmm, it’s the fault of the citizens And the government, the ones who operate the school systems instilling a certain way of thinking upon the masses that some call brainwashing? That’s something more difficult to break free from than iron chains. Much like some of the slaves who were freed after the War of Northern Aggression, yet they stayed on the plantation because they knew nothing else and refused to accept their new reality?
I was watching a Sixty Minutes interview with a CEO from the 1970’s the other day about the 1976 swine flu outbreak, where the reporter kept asking uncomfortable damning questions, the kinds of questions that don’t get asked these days and the CEO actually answered them, so unlike today where a CEO would just say, “No Comment” or refuse to be interviewed altogether. Something sure has changed within the MSM since that time.
Yes…I understand and am all for responsibility
but there’s such a thing as fraud. Propaganda is so pervasive, sophisticated and powerful that it’s a full time job keeping up with it.
If seasoned media watchers can’t keep up, how to expect ordinary people with full lives to do it?
It’s not their fault.
And it’s wrong to blame them.
They’ve been brainwashed from birth to follow these designated experts – and the experts betray them. The fault is with the experts.
These are the sheep.
They can’t be blamed for the wolves.
Dances with wolves? heh
More like dinner with wolves..
Certainly do agree that we have either only been given half of the truth in many instances and many times entirely a fabrication of the truth. I am just thankful to not accept what things, sound like, or look like truth, as truth. It was quite disturbing at first, but I have decided to just NOT KNOW rather than using immagination and going with my own conspiracy theories. Why concentrate on what we are against and do not agree with? Is it not better to focus on what we are thankful for and be happy? However if you get the facts with witnesses, then get them in a witness protection program, and please do sue the bastards and expose them in every way possible.
Sure, close your eyes and your mind, ignore the world and those suffering in it, or possibly because of your choice to ignore the world around you. Most of the rest of the world has decided their actions which support others who do harm is of no consequence to them. BAAAAh.
As long as the reality you chose to ignore doesn’t come back and bite you or those you care about it’s easy for many to ignore.
Go team, Go?
Leave the puzzles in pieces, just walk away, it’s what all good scientist do, so too every person?
Walter Willams tells a story about a neighbor building a cannon and aiming it at his house. Some people might chose to ignore that, others might take note, maybe at a minimum ask the neighbor his intentions and ask to see if the cannon is disabled instead of trusting those known to lie? Or worse, telling themselves there is no cannon?
Can you tell that people with an attitude like that really burn me up? That attitude is part and parcel of the way things got the way they are. Still, I can’t blame them, drops on a wildfire?
Then on the other hand, it needs to rain!
Here’s an example of one of those, “conspiracies” coming back to bite those unaware or those who have their heads buried in the sand,… not so different than low class thugs, “conspiring” B&E while your asleep or on vacation, a person can’t just simply ignore this and expect things to be all fine and dandy,… or can they?:
S 510 and Crohn’s Disease
http://yupfarming.blogspot.com/