How to spend $40 billion; and, Don't fuck with the Bear

[unixronin]

Brought to my attention by fruitylips:  Warren Buffett is giving away his fortune.  (Well, 85% of his $44 billion, anyway.)  Most of the giveaway, some $31 billion at the current value of Berkshire stock, will go to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, doubling its net worth.  The remainder will apparently be divided between four other philanthropic foundations run by or in memory of Buffett family members.

If he's having any trouble getting rid of any of it, I could help him out with his pocket change.  Say, a few paltry tens of millions.  You know how that small change adds up.  Hell, a mere few hundred large would totally turn our lives around.

"Excuse me, Mr. Buffett?  Could I please have four hours' worth of the interest on your m00lah?  I promise I'll put it to good use."

In other news, it appears Al-Qaeda, or an Islamic jihadist group reportedly linked to them, may have made an error of judgement.  The group, which calls itself the Mujahedeen Shura Council, announced today that it had killed four kidnapped Russian diplomats, after Russia evidently failed to comply with a demand on Monday to withdraw its troops from Chechnya and release all Moslem prisoners within 48 hours.

I expect the Russian response to this to be swift, bloody, and effective.  The Russians have never been ones to let terrorists dictate terms to them.  We Westerners could definitely take some lessons from then in that regard.  If I had to list the world's three most competent organizations in this particular arena, I'd probably name the KGB, the SAS, and the Mossad, and I'm not really sure what order I'd rank them in.  I'd purely hate to ever have all three mad at me.

Comments

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Hrmmmm. Most of the time I'll probably agree with you. Possibly even all of the time. But I don't wish to commit to that.

-Ogre

[blackcoat.livejournal.com]

I think that a number of things are unacceptable. However, I also recognize that, on rare occasions, unaccptable things need to be done in order for greater goods to be gained. In fact, I have (on a much smaller moral scale) done such things. However, you should always feel dirty and wrong afterwards. And thats one of the reasons that I don't think that our people should do things that like. A) I don't want them feeling that for me, any more then I really want them killing, dying, or getting hurt for me. And b) I think that everything that every soldier, sailor, marine and airmen does reflects on me. Because I asked him or her to go and do those things. And I want to be able to not shrink away when someone talks about the USMil.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I entirely see where you're coming from. That said, I think every society needs a few people -- for its own good -- who are ready and willing to think the unthinkable when the situation demands it.

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

Like The Agent in Serenity?

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Not too dissimilar, I suppose. Swordfish is another example: someone who can go and do things the government cannot or will not contemplate.