Bill Gates explains why we need government re: climate, and "the private sector is inept"

[Angelsjunky]

Read about it here, in this excellent article.

 

Even one of the most successful entrepreneurs and capitalists say we need government.

 

But, but, but...let the free market decide! Let the profit motive drive innovation! It works, right?

 

Nope, at least not in the case of climate change and green technologies.This isn't junior high debate social studies, where libertarianism sounds like a viable idea.

 

Commence Bernie Butthurt and knee-jerk reactions from the Libertardians.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Angelsjunky

[nate]

Now read the original article which never once includes the word Socialism...  Excellent Article

 

What he says is that the private sector needs to do more.

[ABC]

Read about it here, in this excellent article.

 

Even one of the most successful entrepreneurs and capitalists say we need government.

 

But, but, but...let the free market decide! Let the profit motive drive innovation! It works, right?

 

Nope, at least not in the case of climate change and green technologies.This isn't junior high debate social studies, where libertarianism sounds like a viable idea.

 

Commence Bernie Butthurt and knee-jerk reactions from the Libertardians.

 

Who says we don't need a govt?

[Adam]

Must be a slow morning at the emo vegan cafe in AJs town

[Angelsjunky]

Now read the original article which never once includes the word Socialism...  Excellent Article

 

What he says is that the private sector needs to do more.

 

LOL - I love how you re-translate things to suit your atrophied worldview. You are an example par excellence of confirmation bias.

 

Anyhow, I didn't say he used the word socialism, although the article did.

 

And he also said that we need a carbon tax, and that the government's R&D has been far superior to the private sector in this regard.

 

He also says the Dept of Energy has spent their money well and should get more money.

 

So yeah, the free market hasn't worked out so well in this regard.

[nate]

Yeah but the moronic article you posted said "Bill Gates says Socialism is the only thing that can save the environment"

[Spirit]

Anyone who's running a Microsoft operating system knows that there is a good deal of ineptness in the private sector.  

[Angelsjunky]

Yeah but the moronic article you posted said "Bill Gates says Socialism is the only thing that can save the environment"

 

Talk about missing the forest for the trees. Par for the course.

[Jay]

Gates must be happier than a pig in shit

 

 

'cause we got lots of government

[nate]

You are like the person that posts the Huffington Post opinion piece instead of posting the original article.  I form my own opinions.

 

Anyway, I have a ton of respect for Bill Gates but nobody in their right mind thinks our government is efficient at spending.

 

To quote a famous Nobel prize winning economist... 

 

 

“There are four ways in which you can spend money.  You can spend your own money on yourself.  When you do that, why then you really watch out what you’re doing, and you try to get the most for your money.  Then you can spend your own money on somebody else.  For example, I buy a birthday present for someone.  Well, then I’m not so careful about the content of the present, but I’m very careful about the cost.  Then, I can spend somebody else’s money on myself.  And if I spend somebody else’s money on myself, then I’m sure going to have a good lunch!  Finally, I can spend somebody else’s money on somebody else.  And if I spend somebody else’s money on somebody else, I’m not concerned about how much it is, and I’m not concerned about what I get.  And that’s government.  And that’s close to 40% of our national income.”

 

 

Then there is this:

 

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/casey-dreier/2013/20130913-the-doe-is-full-of-wasteful-spending-but-forbidden-to-help-nasa-make-plutonium-for-space-missions.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

[Adam]

Excellent quote

[Spirit]

And follow-up article. 

[Thomas]

Hey, I work for the DOE R&D section!

[Thomas]

A wee bit of conflict of interest though regarding Gates as for every government employee essentially is multiple Microsoft licenses of which he still owns considerable stock in.

Libertarians and climate change is...complicated. Some oppose government intervention completely. Some are on the other end of the spectrum. Basically depends on if you believe for example a company is damaging others by their environmental impact. If so then in theory they should be responsible financially.

Tl;dr citation

http://reason.com/blog/2012/07/12/a-libertarian-argues-for-a-carbon-tax

Name calling would be as best masturbatory as there are hearts and minds to be won.

[Blarg]

Every time we exhale we expel carbon dioxide and AJ is all for a carbon tax.

[the dude abides]

Speaking of climate change, apparently the former half-term governor of Alaska and current one-person think tank will debate Bill Nye on the topic.

 

Should be a hoot.

[Spirit]

Name calling would be as best masturbatory as there are hearts and minds to be won.

 

 

That makes name calling sound sexy.

[nate]

Speaking of climate change, apparently the former half-term governor of Alaska and current one-person think tank will debate Bill Nye on the topic.

 

Should be a hoot.

 

I would pay money to watch that.

[Adam]

Speaking of climate change, apparently the former half-term governor of Alaska and current one-person think tank will debate Bill Nye on the topic.

Should be a hoot.

Oh God

[Amazing Larry]

It's not happening. I'm not sure where TDA heard that.

[the dude abides]

I originally heard it was just the two of them, but looks like they're both part of a four person panel:

 

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2016/04/11/sarah-palin-to-join-post-screening-discussion-for-anti-climate-change-film-climate-hustle/

[Tank]

I would pay money to watch that.

 

debate tax!!

 

#feelthebern

[InsideThePark]

I originally heard it was just the two of them, but looks like they're both part of a four person panel:

 

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2016/04/11/sarah-palin-to-join-post-screening-discussion-for-anti-climate-change-film-climate-hustle/

The articles that I'm seeing say that she backed out. Too bad, that would have been a lot of fun.

Speaking of Bill Nye, any of you guys ever watch him debate a young Earth creationist? The other guy owns a creationist Museum and tries to use an interesting form of science to make his points. Needless to say, Nye disproves the young Earth belief, and along with that the story of Noah's Ark in the global flood. It's a good watch, I'd recommend watching it on a streaming device if you have one.

[Angelsjunky]

I love it when calscuf thinks I got served.

[Angelsjunky]

You are like the person that posts the Huffington Post opinion piece instead of posting the original article.  I form my own opinions.

 

Anyway, I have a ton of respect for Bill Gates but nobody in their right mind thinks our government is efficient at spending.

 

To quote a famous Nobel prize winning economist... 

 

 

Then there is this:

 

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/casey-dreier/2013/20130913-the-doe-is-full-of-wasteful-spending-but-forbidden-to-help-nasa-make-plutonium-for-space-missions.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

 

Nate, who is saying that government spends efficiently?

 

He is merely saying that the private sector sucks in this way, and the govt is doing it much better.

 

In other words, it is a clear example of where "let the market decide" simply doesn't work, and another way in which libertarianism is woefully naive.