Bill and Melinda Gates with Warren Buffett (right), who has decided to give away most of his fortune
Posted on 08/04/2010 8:43:01 AM PDT by JoeProBono
The world of philanthropy got a huge financial boost today as more than 30 American billionaires pledged to give away at least half of their fortunes to charitable causes, signing up to a campaign launched by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
In an unprecedented mass commitment, top figures including New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg, the hotel heir Barron Hilton, CNN media mogul Ted Turner, and the Star Wars director George Lucas lent their names to the "giving pledge", an initiative founded last month to encourage America's richest families to commit money to "society's most pressing problems".
The pledge is not a legally binding contract but is described as a moral commitment. Buffett, the legendary Nebraska-based financier known as the "sage of Omaha", welcomed the influx of support: "At its core, the giving pledge is about asking wealthy families to have important conversations about their wealth and how it will be used. We're delighted that so many people are doing that."
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Bill and Melinda Gates with Warren Buffett (right), who has decided to give away most of his fortune
The fact that they’re announcing it speaks volumes.
That’s great! Are they hoping for “monkey see, monkey do?”
Or am I supposed to conclude, “if they can do it, I suppose it’s OK for the government to make me do it?”
Wasn’t there a line in the New Testament about true charity being secret?
Invest it back into the country to create Jobs you pinko jackazzes.
Good for them. As long as it’s VOLUNTARY, they can do what they want with their billions. What is evil is when the state comes in and COMPELS you to give the money to someone else.
Do not be a hypocrite.
No need to read any further.
According to the Hebrew Talmud, here are their levels of charity:
The levels of charity, from the least meritorious to the most meritorious, are:
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully.
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows your identity
Giving when you know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know your identity
Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant
I’m more than willing to change my name to Charity. :)
Very often “charitable” foundations can get federal funding as long as matching private funding is provided.
Gates ruined me and my family. His money is ill-gotten. He’ll get no good wishes here.
Maybe one their liveforever foundations can teach blacks to swim (in and out of water)
MSNBC Tells us the number is 34.
See related thread here :
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2564439/posts
What would be the goal of this?
Teach a man to fish and he will want to buy a boat.
interesting. thanks for posting that.
Fairly soon, we will all be working for, or getting money from, charities.
Give 50% to charity or give 50% to Obama’s minions in death taxes?
LOL!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.