Originally posted by chancremechanicIs Warren Buffet who gives 30 billion dollars to charity more benevolant than an unemployed single mother who gives a dollar to that same charity?
Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the world, has bequeathed 30 billion dollars to Bill and Melinda Gates' charitable foundation to equal a total of 60 billion dollars, the equivalent of the GNPs of Kuwait and Bahrain put together. For the past couple of years, especially when the tsunami hit the East Indies, all I heard from you Euro-twats wa ...[text shortened]... even in islamofascist countries like Iran or Pakistan.....
So, eat crow peckerwoods!!!
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Originally posted by Bosse de NageYou flatter me.
Shavixmir would have sorted out the temple in exemplary fashion.
I did nearly get arrested at the Wailing wall once though.
However, that was due to my companions behaviour, not mine.
We were stopped at the checkpoint (as nearly everyone is) and searched by gorgeous looking females in crisp green uniforms...and machine guns (God, women look good with guns).
So, we were being searched and a couple of religious looking Jewish men walked straight on past. My companion started screaming: "If I was a *insert a lot of swearing as well* terrorist, I'd look like that. Wouldn't I? Wouldn't I? I wouldn't be dressed like this. I'd be dressed like that!"
And he was waving his arms around, pointing at religious people and screaming and swearing at the top of his lungs.
Obviously I tried to calm him down by jumping up and down and shouting: "What he says! What he says!"
It's quite unreal how security personel and soldiers don't seem to have a sense of humour.
Originally posted by shavixmirIt's a good thing you weren't a three-year-old girl or they'd have pumped a few bullets in your head. Good story though.
We were stopped at the checkpoint (as nearly everyone is) and searched by gorgeous looking females in crisp green uniforms...and machine guns (God, women look good with guns).
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Originally posted by chancremechanicit is a shame that we cannot all just pay taxes and believe that the taxes will be doing the world some good.
Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the world, has bequeathed 30 billion dollars to Bill and Melinda Gates' charitable foundation to equal a total of 60 billion dollars, the equivalent of the GNPs of Kuwait and Bahrain put together. For the past couple of years, especially when the tsunami hit the East Indies, all I heard from you Euro-twats wa even in islamofascist countries like Iran or Pakistan.....
So, eat crow peckerwoods!!!
instead the taxes just go to war and destruction and evil, they go to patriotic nationalistic governments set on squashing the poorest nations, and their poverty stricken people, into the dirt ... it is only if you can dodge paying your taxes, then you may have some left to donate to good deeds.
well done warren! well done bill !
(warren and bill may have been born in america and used america to make money ... but their views do certainly seem opposite to yours ... and their donations are not centred on america ... they hire teams of tax lawyers to make sure that the american government does not get to misuse their money)
Originally posted by scottishinnzJust remember that your research is of so little value, people must be MADE to pay for it.
Ah yes, feel free to get rid of scientific research by your analogy. Of course, everything that allowed humanity to get past the 100 million mark (and by definition allowed the very things that allowed the colonisation of NZ by Europeans and it's subsequent economy (indeed, economics would never have been invented)) would never have occurred.
[edit; ...[text shortened]... ? Sewers? Immigration control? Police? Perhaps you are merely the worst kind of hypocrite?]
But the research that went into Bill Gates products people willingly purchase. You think that without gummints there'd be no scientific research?...you poor sap (what's the matter, can't make it in the real world)
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Originally posted by shavixmiryes.
Is Warren Buffet who gives 30 billion dollars to charity more benevolant than an unemployed single mother who gives a dollar to that same charity?
warren has given away what he has spent his entire life building ... the mother would have to give a child to be equivalent here.
warren is sacrificing more.
warren has helped millions of people ... the mum would help noone with $1.
warren is achieving more.
warren also gains ... he gains the ability to finally do some global good with his life ... surely this is a good thing for everyone to aspire to ... warren shows the world that this is a good thing to do if you are rich ... a further benevolent effect on the world ... other wealthy people will hopefully copycat..
your's is a poor question (i love almost everyone of your posts - but not this one, a poverty-stricken single mum should buys her kids dinner, not give $1 to charity)
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Originally posted by WajomaAre you really convinced that the predatory practices of Microsoft do not constitute force? It may not appear so when compared to the more blantant clumsy mechanisms used by government, but when you can coerce a manufacturer like Dell for arguments sake to only bundle your OS, surely that constitutes some form of force. Less physical perhaps, without the need for Dell as in this example to continue with Microsoft OS's, but surely you mock common sense to sugggest that Dell would have any other options seeing that its customer base and longterm profitability is leveraged against the markets familiarity with Microsoft products.
These guys made their money through the voluntary exchange of value for value, whether as employers or through the developement and sale of their product.
When Buffet would orchestrate take overs which typically led to carve ups of companies, as management downsized staff to slash costs such that the take over financing debts could be serviced; just because it is done with a prospectus does not make it less invasive and disruptive when compared to any other life changing force.
Most people pay their taxes as an inevitable reality, because they would rather live within an ordered society than an anarchic one. The fact that governments do tend to develop alongside any great congregation of people, tends to suggest the the desire for stability is an attribute that most people cherish in society.
The Buffetts of this world have always ever profitted through volatility in the market. Using the enormous amounts of capital they can muster to influence stock prices through practices like forward selling.
In a laissez faire world this is just grist for the mill, though a few people would be shocked to read the moral component of Adam Smiths philosophies, that do not promote the anonymous amorality such as is practiced today when we enact our greed is good free trade.
BTW I do applaud Messrs Buffett and Gates. Notwithstanding the widows mite being the greater gift in Christs eye as it was all that she owned, 60 billion is a lot of doughnuts and for whatever altruism that prompted the giving a lot of people will benefit. Its interesting that Gates although the richest man is also an avowed Christian. It echoes shades of John D Rockefeller who as a man who believed in the twin virtue of thrift and hard work, carved out an empire which to this day has bequeathed philanthropic efforts, that attest the power of a belief in a benevolent and gracious God.
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It does not compare to the force and threat of force used by guvamint. Refuse to pay what ever arbitrary amount they decide your tax bill is and they will remove your property, try to defend your property and you will be imprisoned.
Refuse to do business with microsoft and your product either sinks or swims on it's merits.
BTW I am not an anarchist. There is a role for government, but it's not funding scottishes navel gazing.
Originally posted by Sambo69On the face of it, giving a large sum of money to charity is a good thing, right?
What are you referring to ?
The republican website I occasionally visit (just for shits and giggles) had pretty much nothing good to say about the whole thing.
I have no idea if Gates or Buffet are republican or democrat, but the comments were all pretty much highly disparaging.