The Altruist-Capitalist Soul of Bill Gates

It was simply amazing to read "The Wall Street Jr" article on Bill Gates' thoughts on Capitalism:

"In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the
software tycoon plans to call for a "creative capitalism" that uses market
forces to address poor-country needs that he feels are being ignored. "

" 'We have to find a way to make the aspects of capitalism that serve wealthier people serve poorer people as well,' Mr. Gates will tell world leaders at the forum, according to a copy of the speech seen by The Wall Street Journal."

This is awful coming from such an intelligent man. It goes to show that no matter how smart you are in one area you can be pretty dum in another. He apparently does not know the basic requirements for a system such as capitalism to be able to give fruit. Without freedom, both political and economic, capitalism will not work. The reason why capitalism has worked so far (although it is far from what it could be in the US) is that America was founded by such exceptional men who actually believed in limited government and freedom from coercive government.

Now how does he expect Capitalism to work in third world countries where dictators reign and savagery is the name of the game?

"Capitalism demands the best of every man - his rationality - and rewards him accordingly. It leaves every man free to choose the work he likes, to specialize in it, to trade his product for the products of others and to go as far on the road of achievement as his ability and ambitioun will carry him. ...When men are free to trade, with reason and reality as their only arbiter, when no man may use physical force to extort the consent of another, it is the best product and the best judgement that win in thevery field of human endeavor, and raise the standard of living - and of thought - ever higher for all those who take part in mankind's productive activity." (For the New Intellectual by Ayn Rand).

The fact that there are very poor countries in the world is no fault of Capitalism. The fact that Capitalism cannot get a toehold in some of these countries is because of the political system they possess mainly brutal dictatorships. Because Capitalism depends on free people who choose to think and act and to live by the best in them is it any wonder that this type of system cannot be found in many places on this earth. In fact, we don't even have pure capitalism right here in the United States. What we have is a mixed economy: statism with a bit of Capitalism i.e. freedom.

So Mr. Gates, please do some reading about the history of capitalism and what it is and what it is not. You can throw as much money as you want in some third world country but if the minds are not there that recognize the awesome power to be unleased by leaving people alone to be creative then what do you expect?