Per our long, LONG thread on the rich, those who give back or contribute were mentioned. Here are a few who truly blow my mind:[quote]In a special Thank..."/>

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Billionaires giving back

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Monday, November 29, 2010 09:26
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Sunday, November 28, 2010 7:59 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Per our long, LONG thread on the rich, those who give back or contribute were mentioned. Here are a few who truly blow my mind:
Quote:

In a special Thanksgiving edition of "This Week," some of the world's richest people sat down with Christiane Amanpour to talk about their extraordinary Giving Pledge -- a commitment to give the majority of their wealth away through philanthropy. Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates, Ted Turner and others delved into the meaning of philanthropy, their moral obligation to give back and the future of the country in which each of them reached the heights of prosperity.

The Giving Pledge
Having a lot of money doesn't mean it's easy to give it away intelligently, a handful of the world's richest people told Amanpour.

"Everybody who's rich has considered it," Ted Turner, the founder of CNN said. "It's just a question of whether they do it or not because it's so much easier not to do it."

For Buffett, the choice to give was easy, the execution was difficult. "The question was how to do it. And it's much easier to make it than it is to give it away intelligently," said Buffett, the Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.

Spearheaded by Gates and Buffett, the Giving Pledge "is an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes," according to its founding statement.

Bill Gates explained that philanthropy was contagious. More than 40 people have already signed on to the Giving Pledge, and others are expected to join in the coming months.

"There's a certain momentum in terms of the more you hear about other people doing giving, it will encourage you to do more," Bill Gates said. "And certainly all of us who got involved have been inspired by each other's stories, and that rededicates us to getting this money to have the most positive impact."

Buffett, who will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, early next year, said that giving was an obligation but also just made sense.

"I've got everything I possibly need," Buffett said. "I've got a whole bunch of what I call claim checks on society. Little stock certificates. They sit in a box and have been there for 40 years. They can't do anything for me," he said, but "they can do a lot for other people if intelligently used."

More at http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/billionaires-giving-back/story?id=12258
995


Doesn't surprise me who is participating in this, given what I know of them. Here are some videos of each of the participants talking about the pledge:

Buffet:
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/giving-pledge-warren-buffett-1225
9449


The Gateses:
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/giving-pledge-bill-melinda-gates-
12259511


Turner:
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video/giving-pledge-ted-turner-12259545




Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off





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Sunday, November 28, 2010 9:53 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


The phrase 'giving back' is an unqualified misnomer.

It generally does not apply, in most cases, and yet we insist on using it whenever someone decides to freely offer that which is theirs to help out others.

If a person earns something through their own actions, their own sweat or effort, be it by digging ditches, typing on a keypad, or what ever, and then is kind enough to give some of it away, freely, then that is a gift.

Not relying on the public dole, not being a burden onto others, that is 'giving back' enough.

0r should be.


" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Sunday, November 28, 2010 1:30 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

Not relying on the public dole
Then Goldman Sachs, AIG, GM etc are the biggest welfare recipients of all.

Not to mention that corporations, hedge funds etc are protected by tax law from paying as much as individuals.

Not being on the public dole indeed! When corporations and banks manage to man up to what we ordinary, living, breathing, working people manage to do, I'll consider your statement. Until then: feh.

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Sunday, November 28, 2010 4:02 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


Quote:

When corporations and banks manage to man up to what we ordinary, living, breathing, working people manage to do, I'll consider your statement. Until then: feh.


I agree. We should have let them sink or swim, on their own instead of shoveling over all that cash .....




" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Monday, November 29, 2010 9:26 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


I agree with Sig.

I assume by "not on the public dole" you are not including SSI or Disability, since those are paid into and, by "contract" with the government, they are responsible for paying out on those.

Nonetheless, I still think of it as "giving back"--not in the specific terms as you understand them, but as in "giving back to the community". I understand your definition, however it has long been understood in the vernacular that when people contribute to or volunteer their services for the community, that is understood as "giving back". It has a larger meaning to most people, in that it is a gesture of goodwill in gratitude for the community having purchased their goods or services. It is generally understood as such and has been for a long time in American society.

It's a shame you focus on that one aspect of verbiage; personally I think it's a wonderful thing they're doing, and I applaud them for their sense of caring. I'm also kind of surprised Lucas isn't among the; he and Speilberg used to be, at least, close, and he's "given back" to the community here in Marin extensively.

By the way, isn't this something we've discussed many times; that the private sector should be who we look to in order to help care for the weaker aspects of our society, rather than the government? I should think you'd approve of this. Just sayin'.


Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off




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