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Wilshire@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 2 years ago

Melinda French Gates announces $1 billion donation to support women and families, including reproductive rights

www.cbsnews.com

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Melinda French Gates announces $1 billion donation to support women and families, including reproductive rights

www.cbsnews.com

Wilshire@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world · 2 years ago
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Philanthropist Melinda French Gates said she is giving $1 billion over the next two years to support women and families, including reproductive rights.
  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    I agree that the insanely disproportionate taxes are causing more problems than donations are solving. However, as billionaires go, Bill and Melinda Gates are exceptionally philanthropic.

    • snooggums@midwest.social
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      Philanthropy is a way for people who created wealth on the backs of their underpaid employees in their businesses that broke multiple laws and dodged taxes. If they actually cared about people they would have paid higher wages or had profit sharing, and would not have pushed for tax breaks for the wealthy.

      Nobody calls a blue collar person who donates to charity a philanthropist.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        You’re right, but they’ve almost eradicated polio worldwide. So there’s that.

        Bill spoke out against Trump’s disproportionate tax cuts, as well as the growing wealth inequality, and called for increasing taxes on the wealthy.

        https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/03/bill-gates-americas-tax-system-is-not-fair.html

        He also cofounded The Giving Pledge, an agreement to give the majority of his wealth away to charity rather than pass it on to his children.

        https://givingpledge.org/about

        • snooggums@midwest.social
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          2 years ago

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio_eradication

          Polio eradication, the permanent global cessation of circulation of the poliovirus and hence elimination of the poliomyelitis (polio) it causes, is the aim of a multinational public health effort begun in 1988, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Rotary Foundation.[1] These organizations, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Gates Foundation, have spearheaded the campaign through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Successful eradication of infectious diseases has been achieved twice before, with smallpox in humans[2] and rinderpest in ruminants.

          Hey look, and example of a rich guy buying credit for something that was already being done!

          He also spoke out against Trumps disproportionate tax cuts for the wealthy, and called for increased taxes for top earners.

          Oh, so he spoke out about the thing he abused to get wealthy, that doesn’t make him a hypocrite!

          • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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            2 years ago

            They paid for the GPEI initiative cited in your comment. It literally says “The Gates Foundation” in your quote.

            https://www.emro.who.int/press-releases/2005/gates-foundation-funds-new-polio-vaccine-to-accelerate-eradication-efforts.html

            They then spent another $1.2B to do what the WHO couldn’t accomplish.

            The first problem they tackled was getting the vaccine to remote and war-torn areas while maintaining efficacy. Once they accomplished that, all that was left were isolated tribes. They then paid anthropologists to spend years assimilating into remote villages around the world to earn their trust so they would accept the vaccine.

            https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/gates-foundation-pledges-1-2b-to-eradicate-polio-heres-why-its-been-a-struggle-for-decades

            • snooggums@midwest.social
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              They then paid anthropologists to spend years assimilating into remote villages around the world to earn their trust so they would accept the vaccine.

              Could have been paid through taxes instead of being the whim of a billionaire looking for a positive legacy.

              • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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                2 years ago

                Agreed. I’m not saying he should have that much money. I’m saying he does far more benevolent things with it than most billionaires.

                • ThrowawayOnLemmy@lemmy.world
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                  2 years ago

                  Frankly, I don’t think we should be relying on the benevolence of billionaires.

                  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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                    2 years ago

                    I agree. So does he. You should read this.

                  • ripcord@lemmy.world
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                    2 years ago

                    Why do people keep trying to argue points no one is arguing against. Especially continuing after people have pointed this out specifically.

    • ThrowawayOnLemmy@lemmy.world
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      And they could be just as philanthropic while also paying their fair share of taxes because they’re just that rich.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        He is, and he’s asking the government to make him pay more. He’s a rare one for sure.

        https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/03/bill-gates-americas-tax-system-is-not-fair.html

        • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
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          2 years ago

          What’s stopping him from simply writing Congress a check?

    • Ænima@lemm.ee
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      Bill and Melinda WERE philanthropic. Then Bill did a cheat and eventually got divorced.

      She was always his better half. Bill has always been a piece of shit business man and only started his philanthropy due to Melinda. That’s why there’s not so much of that same philanthropy from ol’ Microsoft, himself, as of late.

    • Neato@ttrpg.network
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      2 years ago

      So they are some of the best of thieves and abusers.

    • raoulraoul@lemmy.world
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      Indeed. Now she has only ca. USD$11B left over to survive with. She can buy only five, possibly six Sentinel ICBMs.


      What We Want Now
      !detroit@midwest.social ☆ !michigan@midwest.social ☆ !music@midwest.social

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        $11B is her net worth prior to issuing the $1B donation. When was the last time you gave 9% of your net worth to a cause?

        • raoulraoul@lemmy.world
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          When was the last time you had USD$10B? Next you’re gonna defend Mackenzie Scott’s hard-earned USB$34B, I suppose.


          What We Want Now
          !detroit@midwest.social ☆ !michigan@midwest.social ☆ !music@midwest.social

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