Re: Billionaires (was re: Suresh Naidu's Arguments)

E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@uniserve.com)
Sun, 20 Oct 1996 13:41:56 -0700 (PDT)


On 20/10/96, Nadia wrote:

(I've been away for a few days, but I'm back with a venegence!)

<large, but very well written snip>

>Fine. Poor people need money. But do they need *your* money? My money?
>Bill Gates' money? No, they need thier own money. That is true
>empowerment. I disagree that individualism means we won't have >community
and social (not socialist) programs and organized task forces.

I'm very happy to see a statement like that on this list. I agree
completely. People --rich or poor-- can only go as far as they want to go.
Personally, I'll do everything within my power to protect and keep from
hurting other people. I'll do everything within my power to accept and love
other people for their views, individuality etc. *But* the bottom line is,
that if any person gets in the way of my goals or hinders my progress, then
that is too bad for them. Ultimately, I am a selfish, capitalistic egoist,
but I also try to be as considerate and compassionate as possible.

I seem to have strayed a little off the topic. A billionaire (or
multi-millionaire for that matter) generally earns his\her money. As Ira
Brodsky alluded, Bill Gates isn't exactly using hundred dollar bills as
toilet paper. If the Microsoft Corporation suddenly went belly-up, Mr.
Gates would no longer be worth billions; probably not even millions. Good
old Bill would be fairly broke. My point? The term 'billionaire' seems to
make the laymen of the day scowl and grumble about how horrible a
billionaire is. "If he gave away half of his money, we'd all be eating a
little better." is a sentence that I have heard repeatedly. But if Bill
gave away half his money, half of us wouldn't be able to hear that glorious
'da-daaa' when we start Windows 6.0! Billionaires *earn* their money. I
believe they set a good example for the rest of the world. Unfortunately,
most people can't quite see it that way. Too bad.

Ingredi Externus!

-E. Shaun Russell

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E. Shaun Russell Extropian poet\musician
e_shaun@uniserve.com
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