The Faux Generosity of the Super-Wealthy: Why Bill Gates is a Menace to Society

If Gates represents a net negative force in world politics, why does he receive such good press? For starters, he makes sizeable donations to a host of mainstream corporate media outlets.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
Bill Gates Feature photo

Last month Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates surpassed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to once again become the world’s richest individual, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Buoyed by an enormous 48 percent increase in Microsoft’s share price this year, Gates has retaken the title he last held in 2017. That outcome is partially owed to the

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Tired of US “Aid” (Exploitation), Africa and Global South Look to China

How much can Raytheon, Mastercard, Nokia, Monsanto and the like be trusted to invest in long-term outcomes in the global South? When you see the actors behind U.S. ‘aid and development’ in Africa, is it any wonder that African leaders would look for any other partner to work with?

James Carey
By James Carey
Chinese women stand in front of a billboard which promotes the China-Africa summit meeting, outside a hotel in Beijing. (AP/Greg Baker)

BEIJING -- There has been a growing focus on the economic development underway in Africa. There is a reason behind this seemingly new interest of Western powers in events happening in Africa, and the reason is simple: China is a new power dominating business on the continent and has clearly caught the West's attention. China now has partner

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On The 25th Annual World AIDS Day, We Have The Tools We Need To Beat The Epidemic

A cure may be years down the road, but we’ve made huge strides toward preventing the spread AIDS and extending the lifespan of HIV-positive people.

Tara Culp-Ressler for Think Progress
By Tara Culp-Ressler for Think Progress

Sunday marks the 25th annual World AIDS Day, an international effort to raise awareness about the fight to eradicate HIV/AIDS. After a quarter century of activism around this issue, there’s been a lot of progress. Of course, we haven’t yet solved the problem for good. Although the ongoing work to develop an effective HIV vaccine typically

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Charitable Giving Is Soaring — But Is It Effective?

Philanthropic donations are booming, but post-Great Recession poverty and inequity remain.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

Year after year, the citizenry of the U.S. continues to be one of the most altruistic on earth, volunteering an average of 7.85 billion volunteer hours according to a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Although financial charitable donations dipped slightly in the years following the 2008 economic downturn, Americans

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