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Gates vs. Mother Theresa? You pick
Dilbert author Scott Adams has some great suggestions for a fun way to spend some quality time with your family this holiday season. Since it should work even better with technology enthusiasts, I'll shamelessly copy his idea here.
Ask your friends or family the following question:
Who is holier – Mother Teresa or Bill Gates?
No doubt Mother Teresa is a saint (although not officially, according to the Catholic church).
But Bill Gates' billions have saved many more lives – enough to finally make him the Time person of the year in 2005.
The question boils down to: can you justify committing a small crime (stifle competition and equip the world's computers with highly insecure software) to do a great good (use your gains to save and improve lives)?
Mind you that some of history's great philanthropists (think John Insley Blair, Andrew Carnegie or John Davison Rockefeller) made their fortunes as devoted capitalists: using unscrupulous business tactics and making money off the backs of underpaid and overworked employees.
History tends to be gentle on bad businessmen doing good.
But really, who do you think is holier?
Tags: bill gates, mother theresa, scott adams
Spanish
"Two years ago [1995], the company hired an outside consultant, Craig Smith, to devise a strategic plan to direct Microsoft's corporate giving in ways that guarantee the greatest return to the company."
- http://www.salon.com/jan97/philanthropy970127.html
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"... the software tycoon's global philanthropy exercises carry a hidden agenda to persuade beneficiary governments to reverse policies promoting the use of open source software."
- http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/0,39023166,39151789,00.htm
Posted by: Anonymous | December 29, 2005 12:57 PM
I was thinking about the Bill Gates/Mother Theresa thing myself:
Remember in the movie SPIDER MAN when uncle Ben says to Peter, "with great power must also come great responsibility?"
Bill Gates may be a wonderful guy but I think giving yourself a pat on the back for throwing back a few cows when you stole the herd doesn't compare to the selflessness of a Mother Theresa.
This lady took a vow of poverty and lived amongst the world's poorest. It's about being 'hands-on' where most people don't want to put their hands. It is about more than writing checks.
Posted by: Jerome Ryan | June 18, 2007 6:36 PM