Good guys and good deeds, yeah, maybe sometimes.

[ThomWV]

A replay of last night's Daily Show just came on. Bill Gates was the guest. My wife saw him and mentioned that a vaccine for Malaria might become available next year and that Gates was responsible for it. Might be true, might not, but I now his Foundation is working on it and his $illions are supporting it. That is a very admirable thing he is doing there.

And then I thought about it for a little bit and it occurred to me how ubiquitous Microsoft products are. Bet there is at least one within reach of you right now. Of course every one of those little stars of microsoft light had profit attached to it and ultimately an unimaginable fortune fell to Mr. Gates. But make no mistake, the origin of money, that all-necessary money that funded the remarkable and so badly needed research, every dime of that money came out of the pockets of you, and me, and just about every other person in the civilized world and a good number of those in less advanced parts. And how much was it? Just what percentage of our national income has gone to this good work? Well, I don't know - but I'm sure it hasn't been much.

If you wanted to look at it this way you could imagine that the money that Bill Gates has used to fund much needed research that will lead to the improved situation, indeed life itself, for millions was just this small little tax that got funneled through the good Mr. Gates.

Republicans will tell you that is the natural state of things, that this is how it should be. They will tell you that as long as there are people like Mr. Gates there is no reason to tax to fund social safety nets. They believe that given the chance those who, by whatever means possible, amass great fortunes will use their resources to improve mankind. Well I agree, the rich should redistribute wealth and if by their good graces mankind is improved I'm all for that too. But you can not base a society on it. Indeed many more fortunes have disappeared into the black holes of luxury yachts, private jets, and exclusive island retreats. The poor and needy? Let them eat cake.

In truth the reason we come together to form Governments and to tax ourselves for mutual benefit is exactly because we understand that you can not base a society on the benevolence of the rich. It is why we tax ourselves. So as much as I can admire the good works of Mr. Gates - and even ignore the horror stories of his rise - but to think he is a model that is often followed is absurd, as absurd as most other Republican thinking.

Government is not the enemy of the people, Government is the people.