Hugo Chavez vs Bill Gates

[Truth Talks]

Microsoft founder Bill Gates is one of the world's most famous capitalists, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez one of the most famous socialists. Right-wingers generally worship Bill Gates and demonize Chavez. What intrigues me is the apparent liberal confusion swirling around this dynamic duo.

Over the last few years, I've seen attitudes towards Microsoft change here at DU. Far fewer people defend it than they did in the past. Yet many people still insist that Bill Gates should be respected for his philanthropy.

Hugo Chavez is more frequently the source of flame wars. Many lefties consider him a global hero, while others condemn him.

Hugo Chavez certainly isn't perfect, and it still isn't clear exactly where his Bolivarian revolution is headed. But I revere him for speaking his mind about George W. Bush while other world leaders cowered like sheep. Chavez also has my respect for standing up to Exxon and for inspiring other Latin American nations to push for freedom from Corporate America. I'm hard pressed to imagine a greater global hero at this point in history.

In contrast, Bill Gates and his father are little more than career criminals who have spent vast sums of money in an attempt to sell themselves as saints. Yet an expose in the LA Times revealed that Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is actually an investment firm - one that works at cross purposes with its stated goals. What blew me away was the revelation that Bill Gates couldn't even pay his fair share for relocating the Foundation's headquarters; he stuck it to the taxpayers yet again. Microsoft was even attempting to get some stimulus money to build a bridge on its property.

Another outrage: Taxpayers foot the bill for a new sports stadium owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Allen recently bought the Sounders soccer team. What amazes me is the Sounders' uniforms, which look like little more than advertisements for Microsoft's X-Box computer game. (See an example here.) After all the crimes committed by Haliburton, Enron, and Exxon, how can people stomach a de facto use of tax dollars to market Bill Gates' favorite computer game?

Did you know that Gates had an X-Box wrapped in mother of pearl and presented to the President of South Korea as a "symbol of peace"? While many people describe Hugo Chavez as a kook, I think Bill Gates is the real nut cake.

A growing number of people are taking a closer look at Bill Gates' "philanthropy." Some see the Greening of Africa as the Fleecing of Africa. Many AIDS activists see Gates as a publicity wh*re, rather than a fellow activist. Many people say Gates is more interested in profiting from diseases then helping people who are afflicted with them.

I could write much, more more about Hugo Chavez and Bill Gates, but I think I've made my point. To me, Hugo Chavez is a global hero, while Bill Gates bears the same stench as George W. Bush (who Gates supported; I believe Bush even visited his home a few times). How do you feel about Chavez and Gates? If you still believe that Bill Gates is a philanthropist, have you really taken a close look at his life story and "charitable" adventures?

Thanks for your input.

P.S. I forgot to mention that I pray that Hugo Chavez will one day put Bill Gates in his crosshairs. Chavez did the world a service by blasting away at George W. Bush. Similarly, Chavez could help children around the world by helping to expose Gates for what he is.

[meegbear]

1. Thanks for the info Mr. Jobs!

:hi:

[Truth Talks]

4. UR welcome, Mr. Gates.

Thanks for such an intelligent response. Not.

[Billy Burnett]

2. Didn't Venezuela and Cuba switch gov computer op systems to a LinuX open source?

Pretty sure I read that here a while back.

[Truth Talks]

3. I think so.

I think a number of Latin American governments have promoted Linux in one way or another. Bill Gates donated some money to Peru's schools in an effort to sway a government vote in Microsoft's favor.

[Greyhound]

5. As has Brazil. n/t

[BolivarianHero]

7. Careful ascribing ideological implications to this switch...

Right-leaning French nationalists made a similar switch because they want the cultural and political works of the French nation to be subjected to the mercies of Microsoft's file formats and OSes. Both are justifiable and noble, but the difference is certainly worthy of consideration/

[idlisambar]

6. The bridge

The bridge is not "on its property", and it's not a private bridge, it's an overpass that links two parts of the publicly accessible Microsoft campus separated by a highway. It is meant to relieve congestion on another overpass that is a currently bottleneck of traffic. Microsoft is footing about half the bill as it obviously benefits, but other businesses in the vicinity (Nintendo, Honeywell, etc.) and residents/commuters also benefit from the bridge. Given that Microsoft employees make up a very large percentage of the local tax base to the extent that the local government is funding the project, Microsoft employees are putting up a greater percentage of the funds than the figure given (albeit indirectly).

Are there worthier projects for federal stimulus dollars? Perhaps, but on the other hand this is a long-planned and "shovel-ready" project (work began a couple on months ago), so from a logistical perspective it literally "fit the bill". All this said, there is valid room for debate, I only want to point out that the issue does not fit some overly simplified caricature of corruption.