bill gates, the statesman?

[sophiaserpentia]

Bill Gates just announced that he is going to step down from daily duties at Microsoft to become a full-time philanthropist.

What are the odds that there's politics in his future?

Comments

[alobar.livejournal.com]

Is he planning to be prez so he can outlaw Linux?

[supergee.livejournal.com]

I hope he has enough self-knowledge to stay out of elective politics. Politics is for extraverts, not for people widely believed to have Asperger's

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Oh, if he did, he'd be miserable the whole time. But then again, i don't see how anyone can be in politics and not be miserable the whole time (unless their name is William Jefferson Clinton).

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The most philanthropic thing he could do is OS MS-Windows.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Hah! Well, he's made his money off the whole thing, so why shouldn't he?

[coyotegoth.livejournal.com]

I'd say, "Don't scare me"- but after the last few years, I'm ready for anything in American politics that's still this side of Howard the Duck. Still, I hope not.

[kittenkissies.livejournal.com]

Oh, shit. I didn't think about that.
His mom oops I mean wife must be making him.

Did you see the embarrassing staged pics of Her in India?

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

No. What's the scoop?

[kittenkissies.livejournal.com]

They supposedly set up this charitable trust for women in India, so they can gain some sort of empowerment, but in the long run, the Gates will profit phemominally. I wish I could remember the specifics.

[neosis.livejournal.com]

Highly unlikely. I don't think he has either the desire or the charisma to be a politician.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Well, it occurred to me that he has a lot in common with H. Ross Perot. He has a lot of vested interest in the human condition: his philanthropic work has been extensive. He has a lot of name recognition. And he probably has friends or associates who will therefore pressure him to pursue public office.

[brainsluglord.livejournal.com]

I think he could do more good for the world as a philanthropist.

[arcanum-dogma.livejournal.com]

whilst not a fan of what microsoft did to the pc world, i'm very impressed with what he and melinda have done through the foundation (my former job at UMB was funded by him as well as the work my former team did with necrotizing enterocolititus and neonatal sepsis in indian villages). he's savvy enough to know not to run - he's also savvy enough to finance his own "preferred candidate."

[chimpstop.livejournal.com]

Or maybe he just feels like having a humanity race with Paul Allen? I've seen Bill step away before, and he came back.
!BUT!
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation does do a lot of really neat stuff! Wish they'd give me an endowment!

On the Politics issue: Hard to say, but I'd lean toward not: Like Paul Allen, Bill knows that the real change in the world happens behind the scenes, not in the Public Grandstanding in DC and other theatres.

To put it in perspective: Think about Bowie's character in THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, and the effects his money and corporation had on society, and how the powers that be tried to stop him. They tried to stop Bill Gates, and failed. He's still uber loaded. Microsoft is still everywhere, and now he is dedicating his time to his personal projects to change the world in otherways, not just computers...