When will Bill Gates join the "bored rich" running for office and what office?

[CK_John]

Forbes recently rated him the 10th most powerful man in the world, behind some drug lord. His foundation to solve the world's health problems is being sidetracked by local issues, such as bribes and petty feuds.

Does his home state of Washington have any openings, like governor or senator. Or would he be thinking national.

If Sara can, why not Bill.

[Kutjara]

1. I know I'd want the guy who gave us Windows to be running the country.

What could possibly go wrong?

[avaistheone1]

2. Bill has a bad record on a number of issues.

He would just be another corporatist candidate - running on rich man issues to enrich themselves, their corporations, and their so called legacies.

[Deja Q]

3. 100% accurate.

How does one man change, so quickly, after 25+ years running a company with the most predatory and vulgar tactics? How does one change to being "philanthropic", especially as, in his latter days and after he put Ballmer in his place, they freely fire Americans just to get and then beg for more H1Bs. Real globalization would not ruin even ONE livelihood. I've no qualms helping people, but you don't eff your own countrymen in the process. Not ever. Not when they buy and fight and die and give tax money for you. (not quite in that order, of course)

(Having been working with DOS and Windows since the early 1990s, and later reading up on MS's origins, the proof is easily obtainable.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWjOodAtoE
(reenactment of what happened - "Pirates of Silicon Valley", the worthwhile segment :D )

[Deja Q]

4. I'd like him more if he didn't cause health problems here at home.

Firing his own countrymen despite billions in profits. I sometimes wonder if every MS product since 2005 was equally rendered worse-than-usual by passive-aggressive workers alongside the H1Bs they were training before being "laid off".

Certain enough for me to stop buying every new version of their application or OS.

Even reading up on Win7, many long-standing problems still exist... not to mention the hell with the "upgrade version", it's almost like MS would prefer people just to shell the full price... and that wouldn't stop their flaky reactivation process from blowing up either...

[CoffeeCat]

5. One of Gate's executives is now...

...the managing director of the FCC.

I thought that was interesting.

[avaistheone1]

6. Gates also strongly favors genetically modified foods.

He thinks genetically modified foods is the solutions for the third-world.

Fuck Gates.

:thumbsdown:

[ZombieHorde]

10. People need to eat and GMO food is cheaper and easier to grow than organic food.

I would take GMO food over no food. Other solutions may be better, but too few are acting on them. People need food today and GMO food happens to be cheap and available.

[avaistheone1]

13. Ask the people of India if they found GMO food cheap and available.

India: Calls to Ban GM Crops Intensify After Rats Suffer
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0606-05.htm


Plan panel says no to GM food crops
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Plan-panel-says-no-to-GM-food-crops/articleshow/4653953.cms


Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6408528


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi1FTCzDSck&feature=player_embedded
In part 1, Dr. Vandana Shiva explains the science of biotechnology (genetic engineering), and the dangers it poses to the world’s food supplies. Dr. Shiva is a scientist (a physicist by training); she is also a social activist, an environmentalist who believes in ecological sustainability (preserving biodiversity), and an internationally recognized leader in the sustainable food movement. As a woman, and as a pioneer, she has taken her stand among the peasant farmers of India, and indigenous people throughout the world as a defender of women’s and of nature’s rights.

[ZombieHorde]

16. I know some people in other countries have been refusing the food,

but Americans have been eating it for a long time. I think the bad press around GMO has caused needless starvation in some areas. If GMO food is good enough for Americans, why isn't good enough for starving people?

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Gates is busy running the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

I don't think he is interested in purchasing an office in the House or the Senate.

[Davis_X_Machina]

8. "Never" and "none". n/t

[onenote]

18. +1

[KansasVoter]

9. Wow, the DU hates a big corporation!! LOL

Gates has probably saved 1 million kids from malaria. And more down the road.

He is an evil man.

[valerief]

11. Isn't he running the country now???? nt

[Oregone]

12. His platform would need perpetual patches due to bugs

[nemo137]

17. I realize that's a pretty standard anti-MS joke

But it would be refreshing to see a politician adjust to new information and threats.

[harun]

14. Money is power and when you have as much as him you don't need to go

and actually "be" a politician to have tremendous power and influence.

[quiller4]

15. With his level of activity in Gates Foundation work I can't imagine

he'll be bored any time soon. Neither do I think he is likely to run for office. He and Melinda don't even contribute all that much to political campaigns relative to how much they give to charity.

[saltpoint]

19. I'm less worried about Gates than Michael Bloomberg, who has a buck

or two saved up for big projects and is likely looking for something to do.

[geek tragedy]

20. Because running for office would limit his power.

Right now he can spend his money and donate it how he damn well feels. He's accountable to no one. Would he have the patience to make himself accountable to the Limbaugh-listening yokels anywhere? no