On My Mind: ANSWERING vs. QUESTIONING GIVING vs. TAKING "We can make market forces work better for the poor if we can develop a more CREATIVE CAPITALISM – if we can stretch the reach of market forces so that more people can make a profit, or at least make a living, serving people who are suffering from the worst inequities. We also can press governments around the world to spend taxpayer money in ways that better reflect the values of the people who pay the taxes. If we can find approaches that meet the needs of the poor IN WAYS that generate profits for business and votes for politicians, we will have found a sustainable way to reduce inequity in the world. This task is open-ended. It can never be finished. But a conscious effort to answer this challenge will change the world... ..The barrier to change is not too little caring; it is too much complexity... ..Should our best minds be dedicated to solving our biggest problems? Should [WE] encourage its faculty to take on the world’s worst inequities? Should [WE] learn about the depth of global poverty … the prevalence of world hunger … the scarcity of clean water …the girls kept out of school … the children who die from diseases we can cure? Should the world’s most privileged people learn about the lives of the world’s least privileged? These are not rhetorical questions – you will answer with your policies." -Bill Gates | 