Bill Gates's New Version of the Einstein Letter

dcblogs writes "In 1939, Albert Einstein sent 'F.D. Roosevelt, President of the United States,' a letter with a warning about Germany's interest in a new type of energy with potential for use as a powerful bomb. The letter also outlined the competitive threat posed by Germany and steps for improving US research efforts. Last week, Bill Gates, along with GE's CEO and others, met with President Obama to deliver their own message: that of the top 30 companies in the world working on alternative energy, only four are in the US. Similar to Einstein's point and recommendations, Gates and his allies are asking the US to view the alternative energy push as a competitive threat posed by other nations, particularly China, which may be doing a better job in bringing its engineering talent and money to bear on this problem."

Comments

Re:Can You Spot the Difference?

[Anonymous Coward]

What did you expect when you put a nigger in charge?

steps for "improving" US research efforts.

[mysidia]

• Ban open source software
• Pass laws ensuring that software and mathematical algorithms are fully patentable
• Office XML as the file format to be used by researchers and all federal and local government, for storing their documentation
• Extend the durations of patents to 100 years
• Pass a constitutional amendment removing 'limited times' from the copyright clause. Add a clause allowing the regulation of ideas, concepts, and facts.

Gates is such a f*cking *asshole

[cats-paw]

The world's uber capitalist talks about how the government should do this and that

Well if the f*cking free market was so teh awesome, we'd already be the world leader, now wouldn't me ? We're the goddamn free market capital of the world, next to Somalia, that is.

Dishonest F*cker.

Re:We're on the wrong track.

[alen]

the hippies can't even agree on their hippie power sources. they hype wind but then fight it because it kills birds or ruins the view at the beach

Bill has no right to speak on this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bill has no right to speak on this. His Windows empire has destroyed most educational institutions in the USA. It has also spread a disdain for the scientific method, as Microsoft products can't survive evidence-based decisions.

Re:Can You Spot the Difference?

[Jack9]

how much of his own money would it take to satisfy you?

There is no amount. The damage to technology, business, and education is far more than Microsoft itself (much less Gates himself) will ever represent.

Re:Taxes

[tacokill]

Ummm, MSFT and GE are taxed at the worlds highest rate of 35%, just like most of the publicly traded companies in America (sans S-Corps). Bitch all you want about the tax credits and tax deductions they are afforded but please don't spout off about them "not paying taxes". You are being disingenuous at best and dishonest at worst.

For the record: The USA has the highest corporate profits tax in the world -- up to 35% tax rate on corporate profits.

Better yet, you get double fucked if you happen to own a piece of a company. Not only does the company pay a 35% tax on it's profits, but you get to pay a tax on the dividends AND the capital gains.


But I guess it's OK since only "fat cats" own anything anymore....

OK

[BCW2]

Let's spend Gates money but not let him have any control or profit. Then we can see what his real motive is.