'Just because you're rich doesn't mean you're smart...' (Gerald Bracey)... How Bill Gates received a

[cornermouse]

totalitarians' welcome to the AFT national convention on July 10, 2010 and the complete text of the speech he delivered

http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1529

Despite the enormous efforts of national and local leaders of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to prevent any protest against the speech by billionaire Bill Gates at the union's national convention, a significant protest was held against Gates during the convention and the shock of Gates' message and the apparent acceptance of it by AFT President Randi Weingarten and many (not all) of the union's national leaders will continue to be debated long after the more than 3,000 convention delegates return to their homes and workplaces on July 12...

...AFT President Randi Weingarten, who was reelected on July 10, told the convention that she had been going from delegation to delegation asking that delegates not be rude to Gates. Her forceful message, given the structure of the AFT, was not lost on most of the delegates. (Most of the local leaders of the AFT have to have regular relations with the AFT national office). Randi Weingarten began her introduction of Bill Gates by praising the charitable work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. "They have invested – and he has invested – considerable energy and resources into better evaluation. Our position is that this is so we can do our jobs better," she told the delegates. "I want to tell him a little about us. This august body is totally and completely committed to improving public education. We also have a role in improving health care policies in our contry as well. AFT has been very active in preventing AIDS in Africa..." she said...

...Ironically, the most powerful national voice currently debunking the lies, half-truths, and false "facts" that dotted the speech Gates delivered to the teachers today is Diane Ravitch, who for two decades supported the positions taken by Gates and was opposed by Jerry Bracey. But Diane Ravitch was not at the AFT convention (she had been at the NEA convention the week before). In her best-selling book "The Death and Life of the Great American School System", Ravitch takes to task most of the myths promoted in Seattle by Gates, and wraps up her critique of corporate "school reform" with a delightful chapter ("The Billionaire Boys Club") about how Bill Gates, Eli Broad, and the Walton family (Wal-Mart) are using not-for-profit grants to set the national agenda for the debate on public education.

But Ravitch was not in Seattle, and Gates was not allowing any debate. The AFT national press office, which had arranged a press briefing with Randi Weingarten on the first day of the convention following her keynote speech, censored any press contact with Gates following his speech. Only a blogger for Education Week was allowed to interview Gates himself. The manipulation of the message was not limited to the massive security that was deployed to prevent the protests that were taking place against Gates....

[SpiralHawk]

1. Gates and his mutant 'food' and mutant 'education' have R all over them

Ptooooey

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Steve Jobs said the problem with bill was

'He never took LSD.'

Bill was right wing when the computer revolution started and tried to stop open source back then.




See what type of Bill ...... Bill is .... 1994 Playboy interview



http://beginnersinvest.about.com/od/billgates/l/blbillgatesint5.htm

[BolivarianHero]

9. Steve Jobs is wrong about this...I hope he's being facetious.

http://beginnersinvest.about.com/od/billgates/l/blbillgatesint5.htm

PLAYBOY: Ever take LSD?

GATES: My errant youth ended a long time ago.

PLAYBOY: What does that mean?

GATES: That means there were things I did under the age of 25 that I ended up not doing subsequently.

PLAYBOY: One LSD story involved you staring at a table and thinking the corner was going to plunge into your eye.

GATES:

PLAYBOY: Ah, a glimmer of recognition.

GATES: That was on the other side of that boundary. The young mind can deal with certain kinds of gooping around that I don't think at this age I could. I don't think you're as capable of handling lack of sleep or whatever challenges you throw at your body as you get older. However, I never missed a day of work

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. Never met someone as unconscious as Gates

Even in that statement he made..... I doubt him
If you notice, the statement is ambiguous.

He is still one smart mufa fucker, but is still not a conscious being
He is still that egotistical genius asshole he was when he was 19

If you believe Gates then Welcome to Windows 2000

[KansasVoter]

14. Do you have any idea how much money he has donated to good causes?? NO!!

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. His causes are to sustain his power and thought.

I find his work in his foundations as shallow and egotistic



He's no........Andrew Carnegie... paying for his sins and guilt
and even he sucked.



Bill is still in it for Bill..........He gives away nothing
without his ego involved and his past development.

You like him fine.........


I don't.

[KansasVoter]

23. I like any Billionaire....

Who tries to help the less fortunate and gives away billions.

[Ichingcarpenter]

39. YOU are not well read nor informed but I like your innocence.

Innocence....... I'm too old for this crap.

There have enough threads and links to change your consciousness.


The Guy ....... you don't get........... has an agenda ........

that is not good for humanity


NOW GO SMOKE A JOINT

and think about it..


YOU WON'T

[KansasVoter]

46. Once again, very detailed information. Thanks!!

[crazyjoe]

64. wow, your facts are indisputable!!!!

[Greyhound]

65. Now see, there you go again. Don't you know that you are required to repost every fact

unearthed about this criminal parasite in the last 30 years, each and every time one of these low-information opinionists whines?

It doesn't matter that he lied to, stole from, and defrauded every person and company that he did business with, he's really really rich and so is simply better.
:eyes:

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. But for what reason?

I was there at the AFT convention. His speech was just his latest brain fart that teachers are the problem. So other than a chance to insult us, what does he have to gain from his education philanthropy?

[Mimosa]

57. True! I want the 50s back taxwise, so Bill wouldn't be such a Lord.

Look at Gates and his outsourcing. And there's the Waltons and all the rest of the greedmeisters.

They are too rich, they have too much power, and they are not good citizens.

[stray cat]

3. Just because you are not rich doesn't mean you know anything either

or that you care about anyone besides yourself.

[cornermouse]

4. I'm just grateful my kids are grown up and Gates can't harm them.

I'm worried about my grandkids future under a private school system that will eventually become a "for the wealthy only" school system. The only thing that has been funded consistently is the military. What a legacy it is that we plan to hand to our children and grandchildren.

[flyarm]

5. add me to that list! K&R!!

[Taitertots]

6. Being rich means one thing: That you are lucky

No matter what the rich think there are a million other people who could do what they do just as well if not better, but they are not lucky enough to have been put in a position to do it.

I'll trust the people who work hard, have an advanced education, and are involved in teaching over a lucky idiot any day.

[flyarm]

7. The so called NA, Na, Na, Na, song sung by supposedly Teacher Delgates was sung when protest

Teachers walked out...

The people singing NA, NA, NA, NA Goodbye..when the teachers protesting walked out.it was a set up..totally planned..I have little to no doubt of that..

To me it was a set up! The Chicago White Sox Baseball fans do that when an opposing Pitcher gets
replaced and removed during a game!

Same song..and same attitude!

So were those people set up to do that???..HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...I would guess ..without a doubt!

I thought I was watching the White Sox Baseball game in the Video showing this..not teachers at a very important Union meeting!

Funny that they Chose the CHICAGO White Sox song ..that is always sung when a Baseball Pitcher is replaced and removed from a game..eh???????????

[Catshrink]

10. I think many, if not all, teams sing the Na Na song when pitcher is removed.

[flyarm]

17. It was started in Chicago! with the White Sox..eom

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. It was gross. I was there.

The people sitting behind us started the singing. And before that they stole our seats so our delegation couldn't sit together. One of them who was the loudest of this group cussed like a sailor most of the day. And while a resolution on the Dream Act was being debated they made several obnoxious comments about immigrants.

I thought I was at a tea party gathering instead of a teachers convention.

[flyarm]

50. proud2BlibKansan someone said on another thread that those who started singing were Medical people

or some such thing..not teachers or real teachers delegates..do you know anything about that?

Just wondering..

thanks,
fly

[proud2BlibKansan]

51. I said that.

I looked at their name tags. They were health care workers from NJ. AFT represents teachers AND health care workers, higher ed, public employees, retirees and school related personnel.

[flyarm]

53. THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWER..I knew I read that somewhere here..but I guess I was tired

and couldn't remember where I read it.

What fucking nerve they had to sing anything..Gates certainly wasn't discussing their future or their jobs..

now was he?

[proud2BlibKansan]

62. It's a tough one

AFT chose to grow its membership ranks by branching out. I can't disagree with that. But they certainly haven't done a very good job of educating the non teacher members on education issues. I was just blown away that any delegates would oppose the Dream Act. Wow. Our school board even voted to support it. And board members attend Dream Act rallies in our city. Seems like such a no brainer.

[NJmaverick]

8. From the video I saw the teachers warmly welcomed Gates with

the exception of a very small and unpopular minority.

[Catshrink]

13. Our own proud2BlibKansan was there

Her posts:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=219x26616

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=219x26589



Other posts from the convention:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=219x26726

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=219x26604

[flyarm]

54. As proud2BlibKansan who was there said..those who were singing were not teachers or representing

teachers..see post above #51 ..they were healthcare workers from NJ...who are also covered under the Teachers union..they had a fucking lot of nerve singing anything..since it is not their jobs on the line or their future going to be fucked by Gates and his group of crooks!

[proud2BlibKansan]

59. Trumka earlier that day was warmly welcomed. So was Ben Jealous on the first day.

Both of them were greeted with cheers and long standing ovations. And longer ones when they were finished speaking.

The reception Gates got was not boisterous like the others. The delegates were being polite after being chastised by our mother Randi to be respectful.

I was there. You weren't. End of discussion :)

[KansasVoter]

11. Wow, Bill gates has saved maybe 10,000,000 kids from malaria.....

and had donated billions to help people.

And promises to give away 90% of his money.

And he is evil?

[MadHound]

15. Even the devil can be charming and do good works,

The fact of the matter is that Bill Gates is one of the strongest proponents of privatized education. What he is essentially wanting to do is replace teachers with computers, ignoring the realities of educational pedagogy. Since he is obscenely rich, he is able to find ready audiences for his crackpot education theories in the highest corridors of power. If we adapt his "reforms" we will be consigning future generations to ignorance and illiteracy.

Oh, and let's not forget the various people that Gates screwed over to get his fortune, including the millions who are forced to work in his factories overseas in substandard working conditions for pennies on the day.

Gates is much like Andrew Carnagie was, as complete and utter asshole who ruthlessly pursued a fortune, no matter who he had to ruin or kill. Now that he has his fortune, he is trying to burnish his image, and perhaps buy forgiveness. The trouble is no amount of money can make up for the misery he has inflicted, make up for the lives he has taken.

[KansasVoter]

18. Jesus......

You are way off. And to off based to even argue with.

Why would such an asshole care about kids in Africa?

[MadHound]

19. If I'm so off base, it should be easy for you to disprove what I've said

The sad thing is, you can't.

I suggest that you look into Gate's business practices since the mid eighties, they aren't pretty, tales of theft, tales of exploitation, even unto death.

[KansasVoter]

21. Wow, how did the New York Times miss those stories......

Point me to your sources. Reliable ones.

So you should really hate Jobs. A real asshole also. And all those Chinese plants making iPods and Macs.

Once again, what is Gates motive to give away billions to charity?

[flyarm]

29. do your own research..it won't be difficult..and look into Gates republican ties..

I guess you were alseep at the wheel when Clinton was pres and Gates was under investigation and worse..for tax cheating..and much much worse..

and did you miss what a huge supporter of Bush Gates was??

wow, are you new to politics? Or did you sleep walk through those years?

How about all the businesses Gates destroyed..you want him to do that to our public schools it seems?

[KansasVoter]

32. So no links for me. I get it. How much do you donate to charity?

[flyarm]

41. a boat load..and you????????? And I have been on many boards for Many charities..YOU????????

[flyarm]

43. It won't take you two minutes to find out what a crook that bastard is..

does your mom still feed you??

I won't, so do your own research..then come back here and tell us all how wonderful Mr Republican Bush lover Gates is!

Do you know anything about the Bush crime family and them privatizing the prisons nationwide??

Well that is the model for this!

Go look that up too!

[OnyxCollie]

49. Gates does not "give away billions to charity."

You need to understand how foundations work.

Friedmann, W. G. (1957). Corporate power, government by private groups, and the law. Columbia Law Review, 57(2), 155-186.

Perhaps the most important modern institution in the field of group power-and it contrasts dramatically with
Maitland's picture of clubs, religious associations, and charities preferring the hedge of the trust and the
anonymity of unincorporated status-is the "foundation" which flourishes in contemporary America.
The foundation is largely an American creation.

By either bequeathing or giving during his lifetime a proportion of his estate to a permanent institution
established for officially recognized charitable purposes, the donor, usually the controller
of an industrial or business empire, achieves a number of purposes.9 In the United States gifts to such
organizations are exempt from gift taxes, and bequests to them are deductible for estate tax purposes. The
organizations themselves are normally exempt from income tax, property tax, and other taxes. A charitable
gift intervivos is an allowable deduction from the taxable income of the donor.

~snip~

the modern industrial enterprise has become a corporate empire within the State in which control of
management is more important than nominal ownership of shares. Modern government attempts to counter
the accumulation of private wealth and power partly by supervisory regulation and partly by heavy taxation.
The controllers of enterprises counter by divesting themselves of assets which they would otherwise pay to the
State as income tax. At the same time they sanctify their name and give public proof of their sense of social
responsibility through the establishment of charitable institutions.

In the first place, the incidence of taxation, both income and succession, although fluctuating
somewhat with varying economic conditions and government policies, is likely to remain sufficiently heavy to
induce both wealthy individuals and corporations to divert as large a proportion of their disposable resources
as possible away from the State as revenue collector to channels which they are in a better position to control
themselves.20 Second, in the case of the relatively few but important major industrial enterprises which are
still substantially under family control, the foundation is, as already mentioned, the best device to perpetuate
the donors' control over the business.21

It's funny; I got into an argument recently with some teabaggers who told me, "Bill Gates gave away all his money and look at all the good he did."

Suckers.

[OnyxCollie]

63. Too late to edit.

The teabaggers were arguing for a tax cut. "Everyone should have a tax cut. Bill Gates gave away all his money and look at all the good he did."

Mission accomplished, Corporate America.

[MadHound]

60. Oh geez, go back to the Times or whatever newpaper archive you wish,

Check in during the ninties to find Gates' many crimes and questionable practices. What, is your memory so bad that you don't remember his appearance before Congress? You don't remember his settlement with Apple, essentially admitting that he stole his OS from Apple? You don't remember any of this? Why the hell do you think he started his good works, to buff up his image.

Here's a few subjects for you to research

Altair BASIC
DRI and Gary Kildall
the antitrust case US v Microsoft, which Gates not only lost, but in the process made himself look like a complete asshole. It was about this time he started pimping the Gates foundation in an effort to repair his public image.
Speaking of lawsuits, here's a fairly complete list of them
<http://www.groklaw.net/staticpages/index.php?page=2005010107100653>

The fact is one has to either be completely clueless or willfully ignorant not to recognize the many crimes that Gates has committed. So which is it?

[KG]

22. gates' wife is the conscience behind any gates charity. he's just a clueless uber-geek.

[KansasVoter]

24. Wow, jealous much?

[KG]

28. ah, a response typical of an adolescent mind.

:eyes:

[KansasVoter]

31. Once you said "clueless" you lost all credibility.

[KG]

36. my credibility with you or any other pixels on my monitor isn't anything i'll lose sleep over.

:eyes:

[KansasVoter]

44. Wow, that hurts. LOL.

[flyarm]

26. Funny I remember Gates being "THE BAD GUY" when Clinton was pres and under many investigations

and he became a rabid republican after that..

Now he is the GOOD GUY ( ?? shaking head in amazement ) to many posters here ( making excuses..).... supporting this destruction of Public Schools by these corrupt sob's???

You are soooo correct Madhound.. "Even the devil can be charming and do good works"


Do none of these posters remember Gates was the richest man who never gave to any charity ..not so many years ago..he only began his charities after he was humiliated that It was exposed.. he gave the least amount for all his wealth!

[KansasVoter]

34. LOL....great logic.....

A "total asshole" who was embarrassed about not donating to charity decides to donate billions not to be embarrassed.

There are a lot of rich assholes who do not do what gates does and seem fine with it.

If he is such a horrible guy why would he care what people think?

[flyarm]

37. "If he is such a horrible guy why would he care what people think?" He doesn't

and he never did..look, go do some research on the guy who now wants to rape the taxes for our kids education and profit from his corrupt Republican corporate ways..I am not your teacher..go do the research nessesary to have an intelligent conversation about Gates, the rabid Bush loving republican crook..with a little bit of Knowledge, will you please?

Many of us do remember vividly and have knowledge of this crook and his history..you fool no one with your nonsense and empty replies!

Go look the bastard up..and know a little about him before you spew any more garbage!

[KansasVoter]

45. "look him up" LOL....wow, OK. He donates billions to charity!

[flyarm]

48. Today doesn't make a man..a lifetime does!

The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out. ~Thomas Babington Macaulay


A pure hand needs no glove to cover it. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing to us our appearance only. ~Samuel Butler, Erewhon

[flyarm]

56. you have a problem looking people's bio's up? Haven't learned that in school yet?

That you know who the fuck you are talking about before you spout out about someone or somthing you have very little knowledge of?

GO LOOK UP THE GATES INVESTIGATIONS ..that took place under the Clinton Admin!

Do it..

or stop spewing shit on a shingle!

[Mimosa]

58. His giving is about tax avoidance and P.R.

He's a greedy manipulator who wants more control.

[rucky]

27. Not evil. He's wrong about this issue.

Malaria you can spend money at and solve the problem, since there is a clear cut solution.

What Gates is backing in education is not a cure, and could really do more harm than good. The more facts come in, the less promising it looks, but people like Gates and Duncan are already too invested in it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. And he pulled his foundation out of KC

Swooped in and showered a few high schools with money for a program with no evidence of success. When it failed he left.

I know it sounds ungrateful but I've spent 3 decades working with the poor and I am worn out by philanthropists like Gates who swoop in and leave when they don't get their way. It's unfair to our kids and our communities.

His latest idea is that teachers are the problem in our urban schools. And because he's rich he's getting attention. Again, no research or proof to support this idea. Just the latest way he is choosing to spend his money.

Be on the receiving end of this kind of philanthropy and then maybe you'd get it. I'm sick of it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

52. Sam Brownback has supported aid to prevent AIDS in Africa for years now.

Let's vote for him to be our next governor!!

[JonLP24]

55. What does that have to do with

what he said about retired teachers?

[laughingliberal]

20. K & R nt

[MilesColtrane]

33. The rank and file of the AFT need to take their union back.

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. Amen!!

[flyarm]

40. +1 million and they need to do it immediately!

The Union leader is part and parcel of the Broad group..she is a traitor to the teacher's and to our education system!

[donco6]

42. God yes.

Immediately.

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. I'll get started on this right away.

I've got dozens of supporters behind me on the Internet. :)

[donco6]

61. I'd vote fer ya!

:hi:

[Greyhound]

66. Slow day kick.

[LWolf]

67. Jerry is greatly missed.

It doesn't surprise me to see George quoting him.

I, too, would have loved to have had him there, and to have read or heard his response.