Well, who gives a fuck about some corporate swine’s diary?

Just because Gates calls himself a philanthropist doesn’t mean others should mimic him.  Ask yourself this:  what is the effect of Gates transferring billions of dollars into an account in his own name, but called his “charity?”  Well, just to start, it means he doesn’t have to pay taxes on that money.  He gets to keep his money, control every penny, and not pay taxes.  Under current law I believe he is allowed to contribute up to 1/2 of his gross income into his own bank account labeled “charity” and thereby avoid paying taxes on any of that money.

But but, you might sputter, isn’t he doing good things with that money?  The tax laws allow him to keep all that money and his earnings as long as he pays out 5%/year of the principal for some “charitable” cause.  That could include, for example, donating Microsoft software to schools in India so all the schoolchildren will learn on Microsoft, and hopefully all competitors in that nation too will be shut out of the market.  Monopoly control through “charitable” contributions.

After the depression started, some charities asked the wealthy people of the world who have these tax-dodging personal charities to pay out more than just the 5% they are legally required to do.  I think Gates said he might pay out 6%. 

So don’t kid yourself that Gates or Buffett are really “philanthropists.”  They wouldn’t be that rich if all they wanted to do was to give away their money.  I like the way Buffett deflects criticism of himself by claiming that when he dies, he probably will give away all his money.  I’ve got a better idea:  why not give it away today?

This whole private charity/foundation of the wealthy is mostly just a tax dodge.  Let’s not call people philanthropists just because they find sneaky ways of avoiding paying their taxes.

Apple Pie Land       empirePie         January 21st, 2010

Come see the latest slate creation
an arty artifact without the law
a conscience ‘like a rock’
iDove without a flock

missing bits and fig leaves,
it silhouettes a logo of empty space
a missing apple with colored splatter
the bitten bit doesn’t matter
it’s just from the garden but with extra blather

iFigure, iPhone, iNest, iPod
iSlate ..
like any reborn non-entity
or lawless newbie in
Logo… la la land
it creeps up on culture
plasma colored, brighter than real
with the extreme agility
of the virtual feel,
defined by what’s missing
like…..

the O bomb o brand
with due diligence dithering
a brand that is slithering
like a sticker tagged apple
on a ‘Tipping Point’,... a slide
a blank ‘Blink’
too glad to fall from the tree
for an empty pie
for splattered apples without a granny
applause without a grammy
a pause without a cause
in..

Logo land,...Apple pie land
la la lawless land
for the corporatocracy band
like the Blackwater mercenary stand
above the law
a slate less empty brand

clerofascism redux

add the clergy baked with profit pie
a mark chilled out for market whys
to ‘hail a Mary, ..and please pass the buck..

for you to can be
proud to be… rogue and sated

In apple pie land