Philanthropy and Bill Gates

As is common knowledge, after 30 years of heading one of the most power-hungry corporations in the world, Bill Gates has decided to (at least superficially) throw his energies into bettering the lives of the down-trodden peoples of the 3rd world.

The two articles linked to below are the latest in a series of debates on the hypocrisy of it all, and also on the possible good things that might come of his new-found altruism. The difference between these and any other article on the subject is that these tend to focus less on Mr. Gates' abilities/inabilities and more on those of the entire free market economy - as they point out, philanthropy is becoming a much more marketable word now than it used to be, so the question is : "How are the large corporates going to incorporate that thinking into their business strategies?"

Making Capitalism More Creative - TIME

Creative capitalism isn't some big new economic theory. And it isn't a knock on capitalism itself. It is a way to answer a vital question: How can we most effectively spread the benefits of capitalism and the huge improvements in quality of life it can provide to people who have been left out?

The Audacity of Bill Gates - TIME

There is something deeply wrong with a system that allows extremes of inequality, these people believe, and creative capitalism is just a way for the corporate élite to put off making the necessary changes.