12.17.09
“Boycott Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in China”
“Gates has created a huge blood-buying operation that only cares about money, not about people.”
–AIDS organisation manager in China, December 2009 (New York Times)
Summary: The bad behaviour of the Gates Foundation (the one it does not let the mainstream press talk about) leads to more backlash
A CHINESE blogger has just called for a boycott against the Gates Foundation (the above title is a direct quote). This morning we mentioned Monsanto for its market abuses, which the Gates Foundation is funding and actively promoting (see references at the bottom of this post). As the quote at the top shows, agriculture/gene patents are only part of the problem because the Gates Foundation also pumps a lot of money into pharmaceutical/medical patents [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] (even surgeries are now subjected to patents).
The Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) has just issued the following statement regarding AIDS patent pools.
A number of NGOs have recently raised important criticisms about the patent pool and the process, and as the pool moves forward it is important to expand the transparency of the patent pool initiative, and to ensure that all patient and public health groups, generic drug producers, academic experts, governments and other concerned about, interested in and impacted by the pool will have the effective opportunity to review, comment and influence outcomes, including the many policy decisions will be made in the next 12 months.
The short story is that patents are standing in the way of people whose health problems would otherwise be treated. If only the rich are able to afford these cures/medicines, then the drugs are more profitable to shareholders; they fear a devaluation of vital drugs more than they fear death of people whose life can trivially be saved.
Regarding Monsanto, here is another report (among many).
Confidential contracts detailing Monsanto Co.’s business practices reveal how the world’s biggest seed developer is squeezing competitors, controlling smaller seed companies and protecting its dominance over the multibillion-dollar market for genetically altered crops, an Associated Press investigation has found.
By eliminating competition Monsanto is hoping to set the price. It’s just like Microsoft, maybe even worse. Either way, Monsanto’s public promotion and funding comes from Bill Gates, who also funds the world's biggest patent troll. Just because he gives money away doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. The Los Angeles Times did a whole exposé about the subject of where money actually goes. █
References:
- With Microsoft Monopoly in Check, Bill Gates Proceeds to Creating More Monopolies
- Gates-Backed Company Accused of Monopoly Abuse and Investigated
- How the Gates Foundation Privatises Africa
- Reader’s Article: The Gates Foundation and Genetically-Modified Foods
- Monsanto: The Microsoft of Food
- Seeds of Doubt in Bill Gates Investments
- Gates Foundation Accused of Faking/Fabricating Data to Advance Political Goals
- More Dubious Practices from the Gates Foundation
- Video Transcript of Vandana Shiva on Insane Patents
- Explanation of What Bill Gates’ Patent Investments Do to Developing World
- Black Friday Film: What the Bill Gates-Backed Monsanto Does to Animals, Farmers, Food, and Patent Systems
- Gates Foundation Looking to Destroy Kenya with Intellectual Monopolies
- Young Napoleon Comes to Africa and Told Off
- Bill Gates Takes His GMO Patent Investments/Experiments to India
- Gates/Microsoft Tax Dodge and Agriculture Monopoly Revisited
- Gates Foundation Funds Literature Supportive of Its Objectives
- Bill Gates Tightens Information/Agriculture Grip on Africa by Funding African Journalists, Expanding to India
- Beyond the ‘Public Relations’
‘“Other than Bill Gates, I don’t know of any high tech CEO that sits down to review the company’s IP portfolio” —Marshall Phelps
dyfet said,
December 17, 2009 at 8:46 pm
“maybe” even worse? People can live without computers (really, they can!), but not without food.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I know someone who would argue (with pertinent details) that Windows indirectly causes many deaths.
Robotron 2084 Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Yes, Roy, it’s you. Except I would argue that you often prefer to imply that Windows is directly responsible. It’s more sinister that way.
There are a lot of examples, but this one has the best headline: http://boycottnovell.com/2009/01/21/death-by-microsoft-windows/
And this one has the best quote from you: http://boycottnovell.com/2009/08/24/abandoning-windows-hospitals/
“In summary, Windows leads to deaths in hospitals and nothing is changing.”
Jose_X Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Well, Windows is less stable than Linux.
In some settings, how much instability and failures do you want to risk?
And the malware problem is quite another thing that really helps make Windows quite unsuitable. Imagine if the internet ran on Windows software? Ouch!
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
December 18th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Jose_X, it’s a regular troll (new nym).
Robotron 2084 Reply:
December 19th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Jose_X, as you usually do on this site and others, you venture way off topic. Where in my post did I say anything about stability?
For the record, it’s hard to keep a name around here because Roy deletes anyone he doesn’t like, after giving them a suitable discriminatory label.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
December 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am
And now you admit nymshifting. We do have a commenting policy and we never deleted any comment.
Robotron 2084 Reply:
December 20th, 2009 at 8:40 am
No, read it again. I use “anyone” to refer to a person’s account, not an individual post. You deleted my previous account so I had to use a new name. If you continue to delete my accounts, I’ll continue to use new names.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
December 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am
You repeatedly violated the commenting policy.
Robotron 2084 Reply:
December 21st, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Well, I suppose pointing out your mistakes and acts of dishonesty, slander, hypocrisy, and hate would fall under “generally unpleasant” behavior for you, right Roy?
In a place where you are Judge, Jury, and Executioner, it doesn’t really matter what the policy is. Just label them and delete. Problem solved from your end.
Robotron 2084 said,
December 17, 2009 at 10:58 pm
At this point I would say this Microsoft is only guilty of not understanding the Chinese people. Live here, talk to people here, you’ll learn the truth. In general, most Chinese people care more about money than the wellbeing of strangers. That’s the problem with using economic intensives to get things done here. Few Chinese will help someone without some financial benefit, unless it’s a foreigner. Safety is of low importance here and getting Chinese organizations to actively try and stop the spread of AIDS is difficult. Using money may have seemed like a logical solution, but it obviously has unintended side effects.
The Chinese blogger’s website is blocked here in China, but I assume he’s taking this opportunity to blame Microsoft for a problem that already existed here in China before Microsoft became involved. This happens often, as keeping face is important here in China. Chinese people are very kind and their country is growing fast economically, but the society itself has a long way to go.