[LINK] Democrats lash out at endorsement of Gates

[Andrew Wood]

A colleague who went to a breakfast thing with Gates'y before this 
annoucement said it was amusing to note that the Prime Minister came to 
Gates' hotel to meet and make the announcement, rather than Gates going 
to meet the PM...

protocol of power?

Woody

On 29/06/2004, at 5:19 PM, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:

> Democrats lash out at endorsement of Gates
> By Sarah Stokely, SellDigital
> Tuesday, June 29, 2004
> iTnews
> http://www.itnews.com.au/storycontent.asp?ID=17&Art_ID=20303
>
> The Australian Democrats have lashed out at John Howard's strong
> endorsement yesterday of Microsoft and its founder and chairman Bill 
> Gates.
>
> Howard and Gates were sharing a stage in Sydney to announce increased
> funding for the community computing project, Unlimited Potential.
>
> Gates announced that Microsoft has upped its philanthropic investment 
> in
> Australia by $1 million a year for the next five years, spending $40
> million on the Unlimited Potential program. Speaking at the 
> announcement,
> Howard hailed the Microsoft boss as the world's "most significant 
> social
> coalitionist".
>
> "Bill Gates is an exemplar to the capitalists of the world and the
> successful businessmen and women of the world, that having received the
> fruits of a free market competitive system, that we all have an 
> obligation
> to return some of that benefit to the less fortunate in the world and 
> the
> less fortunate within our own communities," said Howard.
>
> While Howard thanked Microsoft and its founder for the donation, 
> Australian
> Democrats' spokesperson on IT, Senator Brian Greig, poured cold water 
> on
> the significance of the donation, and the motives behind it.
>
> "Microsoft sucks $1 billion out of Australia each year just in 
> licensing
> fees," said Greig. "To return $40 million in five years is a drop in 
> the
> bucket."
>
> Grieg warned that government needed to keep perspective on the motives
> behind corporate philanthropy, saying that the PM's strong endorsement 
> of
> Gates and his company -- which has been involved in lengthy anti-trust
> suits in the both the US and Europe -- was "inappropriate".
>
> "I suspect it's more to do with the Prime Minister's lack of 
> understanding
> of IT issues," he said.
>
> "Bill Gates' philanthropy is always based in self interest. What this 
> is
> mostly about is marketing and PR," said Greig.
>
> Gates' job was to increase returns to his shareholders, and the 
> donation of
> software through programs such as Unlimited Potential would help 
> achieve
> this by getting organisations to lock themselves in to a Microsoft 
> software
> environment. "That means money going back to Bill Gates," said Greig.
>
> It wasn't a coincidence that Gates' visit coincided with a "slow but 
> upward
> trend" among organisations including the Tax Office and Centrelink to
> migrate from Microsoft software to Open Source solutions, said the
> Democrats spokesperson.
>
> Microsoft's Unlimited Potential program is delivered in partnership 
> with
> five community organisations -- The Smith Family, Inspire Foundation,
> WorkVentures, Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association and 
> Yarnteen.
>
> The program will provide community based access and training on 
> computers
> and the internet. Its community technology learning centres will 
> attempt to
> stave off the "very significant digital divide" between those with 
> access
> to technology, and those without, said Gates. "If we didn't achieve 
> it, our
> technology would become divisive," he said.
>
> Howard's endorsement of the corporate citizenship of Microsoft and its
> chairman comes a month after the software giant lodged an appeal 
> against
> the $600 million fine imposed by the European Commission for 
> monopolistic
> behaviour.
>
> In May, the US Department of Justice revealed that Gates agreed to pay 
> a
> fine of US$800,000 for allegedly failing to disclose an investment in a
> Seattle area pharmaceutical company.
>
> -- 
> All philanthropy... is only a savory fumigation burning at the mouth 
> of a
> sewer. This incense offering makes the air more endurable to 
> passers-by,
> but it does not hinder the infection in the sewer from spreading
> -- Ellen Key
>
> can you all
> Regards
> brd
>
> Bernard Robertson-Dunn
> Canberra Australia
> brd at austarmetro.com.au
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