[lbo-talk] monopolist Bill Gates wants to sweeten capitalism

[B.]

Nothing like wealthy, do-gooder philanthropists --
who've already safely gotten theirs, spending their
free time on the less fortunate. Reminds me of the
wealthy housewives' do-gooder philanthropic societies
of the 1800s. This sort of thing was rightly pegged
Nietzsche as just another manifestation of powerful
folks' desire to flatter themselves as functioning
society "leaders."

"[The powerful man] helps the unfortunate, perhaps,
but it is not out of sympathy. The impulse, when it
comes at all, rises out of his superabundance of power
-- his thirst to function." -- HL Mencken, _The
Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche_

-B.

Doug Henwood quoted:

"Free enterprise has been good to Bill Gates. But
later today, the Microsoft Corp. chairman will call
for a revision of capitalism."