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Bill Gates Unleashes Swarm of Mosquitoes
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft founder turned philanthropist Bill Gates released a glass full of mosquitoes at an elite Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference to make a point about the deadly sting of malaria.
'Malaria is spread by mosquitoes,' Gates said while opening a jar on stage at a gathering known to attract technology kings, politicians, and Hollywood stars.
'I brought some. Here I'll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.'" Say what you will about the guy, that is showmanship. Well done.
In rare situations, some people may experience anaphylaxis after being bitten by mosquitoes. Other people may have experienced whole body urticaria and angioedema (hives and swelling), or worsening of asthma symptoms after being bitten. Typically, these symptoms occur within minutes after a mosquito bite, compared to Skeeter Syndrome, which may take hours to days to occur."
Nice side effects from non-malaria carrying insects. Thanks, Bill, you tosser.
My boss was at his talk. He did not release the mosquitos. He did have a vial of them there and threatened to, as a joke (boss-man actually said his whole talk was pretty entertaining). So all of you yammering about suing and crap can calm down.
Kudos? He said "There is no reason only poor people should be infected" Malaria affects the poor and the rich alike if you get bitten. Gates has been too rich for too long and thinks he's immune.
The attendees are pissed at him, and they have the right. What if someone gets Dengue Fever from this?
Put identity in the browser.
Some may argue the only reason he gives to charity is as a tax dodge, but if that's really true why does he do things like this? If it were a mere tax dodge, then there's no reason he'd need to waste his time.
To say that somebody who gives away a couple of billions of dollars each year to various very urgent causes, only does that to dodge tax, is deeply cynical and I can't see how any sane person would actually argue that.
Even suggesting it is cynical, IMO.
:wq!
This is a beautiful illustration if the Liberal mindset. Rather than trying to raise the poor by eliminating mosquitoes he's trying to equalize everyone by lowering the wealthy.
Yea, I know it was really just a symbolic gesture, but that's why I'm examining the symbolism inherent in it. There are a probably a million ways he could have gotten his point across about the dangers of malaria and the urgency of dealing with the problem, but he chose to do so in a manner of knocking the "rich" down to the level of the "poor."
I think it says a lot about the guy, and the way he thinks.
More to the point, it's not possible to save money by giving money to charity. People do get a tax write-off, yes, but the amount saved in taxes can only be a percentage (whatever your marginal rate on the money donated is) of the amount given.
It's not just cynical, it's stupid. It's kind of like the morons who think that the US tax system - by charging a higher marginal rate on monies earned above a certain point - somehow punishes people who make more money. I actually know a few people who truly believe that they're making less money with salaries of around $60,000 a year than people who make $45,000 a year because of the marginal rate increases.
Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
If you want to say that he "maintains control of his wealth", understand that means that he can control which cause gets the money, not go buy a Ferrari.
It should be obvious that exercising political influence is more important to Bill than owning another car.
The Foundation allows him to use his wealth for this purpose, while also accessing the other benefits I mentioned.
I'm not saying Bill is a good man, or that it's even excusable, just that I don't think his motivations were entirely selfish.
My point was that his motivations are probably less altruistic than they appear, not that they are entirely selfish.
Time has shown that when the amount of wealth increases, the distribution stays nearly the same. The only way to get rid of a "poor" class _IS_ to take money away from the wealthy.
What has Hitler done PERSONALLY to get Jews so hateful of him? Honestly, the real reason Nazi Germany was able to get away with what it did is that dictatorships are an inherent flaw of human psyche. Nazi Germany was no different, or annoying and heartless, than Stalinist Russia or how Mao's Cultural Revolution was.
Adolph Hitler smoothly made sure his party won the power, but even without the man, a different psychopathic ideology would had won it.
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
The only way to know if they were disease "free" is to mash them up and test them for diseases.
While it is unlikely someone would get malaria from the insects (unless he imported malaria infected mosquitoes...), There are plenty of harmful illnesses that are spread by mosquitoes on this continent. Among the more well known are West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Neither of which has a particularly good prognosis, even in comparison to Malaria.
Deliberately exposing people to that risk when they do not expect it is reckless and irresponsible. If anyone did get a mosquito borne illness, I would expect Mr. Gates to do prison time.
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
Making a point about how lame some parts of the world can be with diseases doesn't cut the mustard for this kind of stunt, anyone here at slashdot pulling this off would probably be arrested.
I would gladly stomp a thousand baby birds to death to save a human life, and I would be thoroughly morally justified in doing so.
And they were probably just harmless, non-disease carrying mosquitos that I get bit by a hundred times througout the summer
Until one of them bites someone with a blood borne disease, flies off, and bites you.
I mean seariously, do you think he would actually risk someone getting a life-threatening illness?
Sure, why not? Being the 2nd richest guy in the world has its privileges. He can pay off anyone he infects. Even in the worst case scenario that he infects someone and they die, no court in the world would send Bill Gates to jail. His million dollar lawyers would argue it down to negligence, and he'd get off with a fine he could easily afford.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!