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Because micro solutions to macro problems never work. Gates could pay his entire net worth into the treasury and it does not fix a fundamentally broken system.

Because micro solutions to macro problems never work. Gates could pay his entire net worth into the treasury and it does not fix a fundamentally broken system. Gates is commenting on how the ultra rich like him make most of their money from capital gains, which are not taxed at normal income tax rates. If capital gains were simply taxed like income taxes, it would be a huge blow against income inequality this country is facing. Because capital gains are taxed differently, the ultra rich will continue to have their compensation geared towards stock, and away from income. Gates is looking to change an unfair system. He alone can't do that. It is not hypocritical for Gates to ask for macro solutions to macro problems.

briandear 8y ago
Bill Gates writing billion dollar checks is not exactly micro.” He could lead by example and encourage other billionaires to write checks as well. He could start the change he wants to see. When these kinds of billionaires start actually writing checks, then maybe I’ll take their platitudes seriously. It’s like Al Gore flying in a private jet while telling everyone else that flying commercial is killing the planet. If things were so dire, they would be leading by example. Al Gore taking public transportation and living in a 1000sf apartment would do more to convince people than preaching from the pulpit. Al Gore is no different than a televangelist: he speaks to people about the dangers of excess while living a life of excess. The private jets and limos at the various climate conferences is another example. Practice what you preach and then maybe I’ll listen. Fat people telling everyone else to lose weight is simply hypocritical.
- pwthornton 8y ago
  Plenty of upper middle class and wealthy people that are nowhere near billionaires derive their income heavily from capital gains. It's a system issue, not a personal issue. Same thing with your Al Gore example. Leading by example does not make systemic changes to huge, complex systems. That's never going to work. Al Gore could be living homeless in a tent in a forest and take a vow of poverty. It wouldn't make a dent. Your Gore example is particularly egregious because the No. 1 source of CO2 emissions in the U.S. is from transportation, and the main culprit of that is the sprawl that everyday Americans insist on living in (that the government has subsidized for them). It doesn't matter if you'll listen or not. Big problems like income inequality and catastrophic climate change need large, systemic changes. There is literally nothing you the individual could do that matters -- except supporting government and system changes that push us forward.
- EpicEng 8y ago
  >Bill Gates writing billion dollar checks is not exactly micro US GDP was $19.39 trillion in 2017. 0.01% is micro on any scale. He could write those checks again and again and it would never solve systemic problems.
  - solveit 8y ago
    Yeah, but that would require people understand big numbers. Million, billion, trillion, what's the difference?

briandear 8y ago

Bill Gates writing billion dollar checks is not exactly micro.” He could lead by example and encourage other billionaires to write checks as well. He could start the change he wants to see. When these kinds of billionaires start actually writing checks, then maybe I’ll take their platitudes seriously. It’s like Al Gore flying in a private jet while telling everyone else that flying commercial is killing the planet. If things were so dire, they would be leading by example. Al Gore taking public transportation and living in a 1000sf apartment would do more to convince people than preaching from the pulpit. Al Gore is no different than a televangelist: he speaks to people about the dangers of excess while living a life of excess. The private jets and limos at the various climate conferences is another example. Practice what you preach and then maybe I’ll listen. Fat people telling everyone else to lose weight is simply hypocritical.

pwthornton 8y ago
Plenty of upper middle class and wealthy people that are nowhere near billionaires derive their income heavily from capital gains. It's a system issue, not a personal issue. Same thing with your Al Gore example. Leading by example does not make systemic changes to huge, complex systems. That's never going to work. Al Gore could be living homeless in a tent in a forest and take a vow of poverty. It wouldn't make a dent. Your Gore example is particularly egregious because the No. 1 source of CO2 emissions in the U.S. is from transportation, and the main culprit of that is the sprawl that everyday Americans insist on living in (that the government has subsidized for them). It doesn't matter if you'll listen or not. Big problems like income inequality and catastrophic climate change need large, systemic changes. There is literally nothing you the individual could do that matters -- except supporting government and system changes that push us forward.
EpicEng 8y ago
>Bill Gates writing billion dollar checks is not exactly micro US GDP was $19.39 trillion in 2017. 0.01% is micro on any scale. He could write those checks again and again and it would never solve systemic problems.
- solveit 8y ago
  Yeah, but that would require people understand big numbers. Million, billion, trillion, what's the difference?