Microsoft's Gates being knighted

The king of computer software Bill Gates is due to receive an honorary knighthood from the Queen for his contribution to enterprise in the UK.

Mr Gates, the world's wealthiest man, is also being honoured for his work on poverty reduction around the world, said the Foreign Office.

As an American citizen he cannot use the title "Sir" but will be entitled to put the letters KBE after his name.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3428673.stm

Arise Sir Gates of Crashalot !

*edit to put in link* doh.

and gone soft on the dollar?

The UK is not part of the Eurozone. It doesn't use the Euro.

However, when Mick Jaggar received this honor, I came to the conclusion that it's not all that distinguished anymore. Kind of like "irony died" after both Henry Kissinger and Yassir Arafat were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Yet, I don't believe knighthood's true criteria has degradated to the level of that NOW required to recieve our Emperor's "Metal of Freedom." :crazy:

However, we can only hope that our Brit cousins don't follow our lead and sink THAT LOW in the mire of moral depravity. Remember Patriots! It's all in the name of "Democracy on the March." :evilgrin:

Good lord!

Reducing poverty around the world? Are they kidding?

Sue

Its for services for the country, so its an area where one persons opinion may differ from someone elses.

Its not decided on by politicians though, although they are involved its not their final say. I'm happy that their is some separation between who gets honoured and people who are in cahoots with corporate donors to political parties.

therefore - the selection of that great social scientist Mick Jagger. I wonder who's next, Iggy Pop? LOL <teasing>

Nah, John Lydon. He did that nice song about HRH don't forget. Does a lot of work for charity as well.

What's even more hilarious is that many of the youngsters here will have no idea what we're talking about. :hi:

OK OK ... I want an invite to the ceremony. And while were at it, let's book Motorhead to continuously perform various tangential renditions of their classic tune "Eat the Rich." :P

And I couldn't agree with you more than about the lowness of the low on the "Metal" of Freedom awarded by Bush to the people who brought us the War on Iraq....

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It is only an honourary knighthood. We've given several of these to Americans (including Colin Powell, K.B.E., and Rudi Giuliani, K.B.E.).

Foreigners are never given proper knighthood, as theoretically (very very very theoretically) receiving one implies a willingness to fight for the Sovereign (that's what the whole dubbing with the sword means).

The whole honours system now is just an official 'pat on the back' for works benefiting the community (as perceived in the eyes of the awarding committee); with the exception of the peerage which still carries the right to sit and vote in the House of Lords until death. These are mainly handed out by the political parties in rough approximation to their support in the country, but also provides a mechanism for getting emminent people into Parliament who would never consider seeking election (e.g. Professor Lord Winston, a world expert on human fertility).

All those people servicing Microsoft products & trying to make them work!

(I'm one of them, in a way.)

cuz if it worked all the time, there wouldn't be any need for all the repair personnel?

LOL.

We didn't come to this place because we wanted to have a feudal society. If I were Mr. Gates, I would politely refuse with an expression of "thanks for the honor but I feel it is not appropriate one for me." Of course I am not Mr. Gates! And the Queen is a nice lady trying to do a nice thing. So it's difficult.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

wtf?

how about he accepts the honor the queen is giving him? it's not like he can claim knighthood here anyways. it's just honorary. she's thanking him for his contributions, and i think that despite what i may think about gates, he has made many contributions around the world.

it's simply the official British way of saying 'well done old chap, you've been a rather good egg'.

Mr. Gates will have been given the opportunity to decline the honour beforehand (as all honours recipients are). There are several Americans who are honourary knights, including Colin Powell, K.B.E., (given after Gulf WarI I think) and Rudi Guiliani, K.B.E., (given after 9-11).

I actually think that the honours system is a good (if imperfect) thing, is it allows the recognition of the contribution which people have made to the community. It costs basically nothing, it hurts nobody, and has (especially in recent years) rewarded people in a small way for the great work which they have done.

wealthy peoples' wealth is given to the poor and or disenfranchised of the world community? I would not be surprised at all to discover that us ordinary "working class" slobs donate equal percentages to charity. I wonder, just how much the ruling classes go out of their way any more than the rest of us who volunteer each week and donate money to notable charities?

Nope, IMO they could save all that patting *themselves* on the back like the * administration threw millions out the window just to gloat over another four years of Neo-Conservative non-diplomacy, fear mongering and more death and destruction for the masses.

It has been on the rise in recent years (thankfully), and now anybody can nominate another person for one. Charity work is especially being recognised.

That said I do agree; if one person earns £10,000,000, and gives £100,000 to charity; and another earns £10,000 and gives £500; the latter person has given 5 times as much. On the otherhand, it's sad to say, but sometimes causes need a big kick to get them going...

As I admitted before, I don't keep up with this "Knighthood" gig the Brits acknowledge.

Thanks for the Information :-)

There was a hospital porter from not too far from me who was given a MBE recently for saving the life of a doctor who was about to get stabbed by "unbalanced" patient, and for 30 odd years excellent service. He was salt of the earth.

They can afford to give millions like we can afford to give tens but the fact remains that Gates does give billions and he doesn't HAVE to.

Every heard of the millions the CEO of Oracle gives ? No ? There's a reason for that, and its not his poverty.

Yes, just because you're wealthy doesn't automatically make one more selfish than the rest of us. Albeit there's a high correlation, not fair to overly stereotype. Keep me square! ;)

He has created a fund for immunizations and other healthcare, and IIRC wants to give most of his money to charity when he dies (much like Buffett, who gave his kids some money but not an obscene amount). IMO Gates does want to go good with his money, and has been giving more and more money every year.

democracy and our nations' founding is all about. To embrace and honor such a corrupt system is anti-American.

Sir Control Alt of Delete:bounce: :crazy:

> As an American citizen he cannot use the title "Sir" but will
> be entitled to put the letters KBE after his name.

"BSOD" (for "Blue Screen Of Death") would be more appropriate; this
seems to be his most-popular invention (unless it's the medium in
which computer viruses are grown).

Tesha

Receiving an honor because your industry turns out to be the in thing at the time is a bit much. This is a true Ayn Rand moment. It is like giving an award to the cave man who figured out a way of making clubs better. We know the human mind works. Do we need a reward to show you can make a lot of money doing it or is it just as valuble to look on leaders like Martin Luther King who actually contribute to our better survival? By the way where was his knighthood?

You know Benjamin Franklin did not patent the "Franklin Stove" because he thought it was so universally useful that all should have ready access to its manufacture. Now that is truly a noble sentiment.

:evilgrin: