Bill Gates just endorsed socialism, sort of: A boost for Bernie Sanders?

[Attorney in Texas]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by TexasTowelie (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: csmonitor

Bill Gates, the billionaire computer maven who owes his fortune to capitalism, recently ... argued that "the private sector is in general inept" as a tool to manage climate change because "there's no fortune to be made," and that the only solution lies with government.

Governments, he said, must dramatically increase spending on research and development to combat climate change. Private companies should play a supporting role by paying the costs of rolling out those technologies.

... in a country where socialism is seen by a generation of Americans as a negative, often associated with Communism and the Soviet Union, Gates' comments, combined with those of Vermont Senator Sanders, could open a new debate in America, and possibly signal a shift in American views toward capitalism and socialism.

...

"For older people, socialism is associated with Communism and the Soviet Union and the Cold War... But the oldest Millennials were 8 years old when the Berlin Wall fell. They have never known a world where the Soviet Union exists ... The connotations associated with the word 'socialism' just don't exist with millennials."

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2015/1027/Bill-Gates-just-endorsed-socialism-sort-of-A-boost-for-Bernie-Sanders

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Here is a link to The Atlantic interview with Gates.

Here are links to the Pew survey and the Gallup poll referenced in the news story.

Here is a link to the related International Business Times news piece which quoted Michelle Diggles, the source of the quote in the last paragraph, above.

[msongs]

1. not LBN. it's an opinion piece nt

[Attorney in Texas]

4. You don't find the fact that the richest person in the world endorsed socialism to be newsworthy?

You don't think a person who has succeeded as much as is possible at capitalism gives an interview to publicly acknowledged that capitalism cannot save the planet from climate change is newsworthy?

What is the opinion? What is newsworthy is the statement from the source of that statement.

I'm glad the news media see the issue my way and not your way.

[BlueJazz]

2. "there's no fortune to be made," and that the only solution lies with government.

The government HAS to bring about change in this area, including bringing the corporations (kicking and screaming), along with the populace, to the benefit of our planet.

[ErikJ]

3. I've been wondering when Gates would turn his attention to climate change

its about time.

[Attorney in Texas]

9. Gatesncan really make a difference by drawing significant attention to the climate change problem

[AZ Progressive]

5. Capitalism is terribly inefficient. A whole bunch of groups fight each other and only a few are...

victorious while the rest lose and are broken up. Like a competition, where a ton of effort by many groups are made but only one or three are actually rewarded for their hard work.

If resources were directed appropriately in society, society would be a lot more efficient. You can't rely on social darwinism to bring out the best talent and the most appropriate people for a job.

[drm604]

6. I grew up during the cold war and I DO NOT associate socialism with communism.

I wish people would stop saying that. Bernie Sanders is older than me, and he certainly knows the difference.

[NonMetro]

8. Same here!

[w0nderer]

7. very rich person realizes

that it's either
equalize pressure of society, or become equalized (madame guillotine is very equal)

In all honesty lately bill has been 'paying back'

[TexasTowelie]

10. Locking thread.

Post the latest news from reputable mainstream news websites and blogs. Important news of national interest only. No analysis or opinion pieces. No duplicates. News stories must have been published within the last 12 hours. Use the published title of the story as the title of the discussion thread.

Opinion piece. Suggest reposting in GD: Primaries forum.