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Time Magazine: Persons of the Year

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 09:31:16 AM EST
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Time Magazine has chosen U-2's Bono and Bill and Melinda Gates as persons of the year:

For being shrewd about doing good, for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice, for making mercy smarter and hope strategic and then daring the rest of us to follow, Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono are TIME's Persons of the Year.

Michelle Malkin thinks it's a lame choice.

And, sorry, but Melinda Gates? She marries the software mogul after he has done his greatest work...and that makes her a co-person of the year.

How mean-spirited to suggest that Melinda Gates is being honored for being married to her husband as opposed to the thousands of hours she spends working on the Foundation. Michelle needs to do a little research on Melinda Gates' contributions in creating and co-running the largest philanthropic organization in America, one that is dedicated to reducing world poverty, saving lives by discovering global health cures and providing educational opportunities for children in our own country.

What greater work could there be?

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    Time Magazine: Persons of the Year | 30 comments (30 topical)
    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#1)
    by Dadler on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 10:55:05 AM EST
    These kinds of awards should go to people who take RISKS. I love Bono, but he's not out there taking genuine risks. And the Gates' are fullfilling a moral obligation that comes with wealth. But it doesn't require them to sacrifice a thing. You say "Thank you" and move on, but honoring the fabulously wealthy for doing something all decent people are taught to do, well, I just don't cotton to it. People of the year are those who work behind the scenes, who give money they really can't afford to give, and who take real risks. I know I sound cranky, but I hate these kinds of "honors". They seem empty and designed to sell magazines.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#2)
    by Zeno on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 10:57:47 AM EST
    Michelle Malkin doesn't approve of spouses getting credit for work done by their mates? That's quite a surprise.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#3)
    by Dadler on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 11:07:31 AM EST
    Jesus, I sound MORE than cranky.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#4)
    by Patrick on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 11:14:48 AM EST
    Dadler, To make you feel worse, I tend to agree. Isn't that scary?

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#5)
    by Dadler on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 11:43:01 AM EST
    Patrick, Egad.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#6)
    by Andreas on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 12:20:33 PM EST
    Five years ago the WSWS wrote this:
    Only two days after a federal judge issued a scathing decision finding Microsoft guilty of monopolistic and predatory practices—essentially declaring that Gates and his associates have robbed the public of billions of dollars—Democratic and Republican congressmen crowded around the computer software mogul, cheered his remarks and denounced the Justice Department antitrust suit. At the White House, Gates was a guest of honor at a conference convened by President Bill Clinton on the "new economy." Pictures of Gates and Clinton smiling, shaking hands and sitting side by side on the conference platform were broadcast throughout the country. Clinton praised Gates for establishing a charitable foundation which has given a small fraction of his $100 billion fortune to programs such as minority education. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was set up only after the filing of the federal antitrust suit made it a useful public relations exercise.
    Two days after antitrust ruling, White House, Congress hail Microsoft billionaire By Patrick Martin, 8 April 2000 *** This one might also be interesting: Bush as Time magazine’s “2004 Person of the Year”: why him? By David Walsh, 23 December 2004

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 01:01:42 PM EST
    I tend to agree with you, Dadler. Lots of people are philanthropic--Bono and the Gates just happen to have a lot more money than others. The selections this year didn't impress me any more than the selection last year.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 01:16:11 PM EST
    "Lots of people are philanthropic--Bono and the Gates just happen to have a lot more money than others." If you'd read the material being linked to, you'd know that Bono isn't being singled out for being "philanthropic." The guy's rich, but his money is nothing compared to superrich types like Soros or Gates. To the contrary, Bono is being praised for being an energetic, well-informed, and above all effective political activist. And in fact people I know in the worlds of hardcore international charity work say the guy is the real thing, about as far above your basic celebrity dilettante as it's possible to be.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#9)
    by Dadler on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 01:22:24 PM EST
    Patrick Hayden, Bono is a great cat, I can't argue with you. He certainly is easier for me to "honor".

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#11)
    by Dadler on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 01:53:22 PM EST
    Andreas, I think Bono is really just trying to butter these guys up and get them to do more. I think he takes a kind of Buddhist approach to his work with these leaders, staying in the now, not letting anger get the best of him. I mean, the guy hangs out with his "old friend" Jessie Helms when he's in town. Better to reach out than to ostracize seems to be his modus operandi.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#12)
    by demohypocrates on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 03:10:06 PM EST
    Andreas, Would you fault a dove for not being an eagle? I usually enjoy watching you guys eat your own but this time you are feasting on one of the really good ones. Bono has brought more attention to the crises faced by the African continent by famine and AIDS than any other individual. He has raised millions to combat the problems. And you fault him for not trotting around the world hollering "Bush is a Nazi chimp! Bush is a Nazi chimp". My only solace though is to know that because of your shrillness, you will always be ineffectual and marginalized. Apparently it is more important to you to shout really loud than to effectuate positive change. The world is a better place because Bono doesnt think like you.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#13)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 03:10:16 PM EST
    Malkin is obviously just being reflexively contrarian. The good work being done by the Melinda Gates and the Gates Foundation is exactly the sort of private sector, not-a-dime-of-tax-money, solution that conservatives should cheer.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#14)
    by nolo on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 03:13:29 PM EST
    Malkin's not just being reflexively contrarian, she's being reflexively sexist.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#10)
    by Andreas on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 03:25:16 PM EST
    The most well-known activity Bono was involved with is the Live Aid fraud which took place half a year ago:
    Blair and Bush have rightly earned the hatred of many millions for their warmongering in the Middle East and attacks on social and democratic rights at home. But Bob Geldof, U2 frontman Bono and the coalition of non-governmental organisations and church groups that comprise “Make Poverty History” now ask us to believe that they can be won over to the cause of the poor and oppressed. [remainder of text deleted due to length. This space is for comments and a short quote in context] “Live 8”--a political fraud on behalf of imperialism Statement by the Socialist Equality Party (Britain), 1 July 2005 Live 8: Who organised the PR campaign for Blair and Bush? By Ann Talbot, 11 July 2005

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#15)
    by Lww on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 04:15:18 PM EST
    Why is Mrs Gates' head smaller than the guys? Disgracefully sexist.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#16)
    by rdandrea on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 04:37:57 PM EST
    I would have picked Valerie Plame, but hey, that's just me.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 04:38:51 PM EST
    The concept that Michelle Malkin might do any research into actual true facts was the best laugh line of the day. Facts are not part of her agenda. Time has the right to pick anyone or anything as "person of the year," but for the longest time, its editors defended unpopular choices by saying that the designation went to the person who made the most news during the year, good or bad. I can't see how these picks fit that tradition in any way.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 05:38:08 PM EST
    Re the Family Gates and Bono in particular, you should read the article by Paul Theroux in the NYT (registration req'd.).

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#19)
    by Andreas on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 06:35:35 PM EST
    @demohypocrates: war criminals George W. Bush and Tony Blair are (still) in power because of people like Bono.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 07:31:36 PM EST
    To be honest, I haven't cared much for Time's last two selections for Person of the Year. Picking George W. Bush last year was a bigger joke than anything Lenny Bruce or Chris Rock ever told. Bono gets demerits for hanging out with Jesse Helms. And Bill and Melinda Gates have that buggy little thing called Windows XP hanging like the sword of Damocles hanging over the 90% of the world that uses PCs. So, for the second straight year, I've given my own set of awards. They aren't exactly saints, either, but they're much more worthy of recognition. Click here to read my picks.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#21)
    by demohypocrates on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 08:34:37 PM EST
    Andreas, I still believe that the success of myself and Prime Minister Blair is a direct result of the radicalism of people such as yourself. The fact that the Left doesnt get that ensures Republican hegemony. Go Andreas!!! Keep up the good work. Yours truly, GWB P.S. It was too fun to send this leter even though Karl told me not to.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 08:39:46 PM EST
    The common wisdom is that if it weren't for Melinda Gates, there would not only be no Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, there would be no Bill Gates Foundation of any sort.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 09:36:49 PM EST
    What greatest works is she talking about that Gets did? Renting IBM a piece of sotware he bought from someone else? (QDOS) Copying the Macintosh GUI, badly? Repeatedly changing the Rich Text file format? There are so many, which does she think greatest?

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#24)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sun Dec 18, 2005 at 10:26:50 PM EST
    "...the success of myself and Prime Minister Blair is a direct result of the radicalism of people such as yourself." demo...could you explain what is so radical about protesting war crimes?? As for the picks...this is further proof that Time magazine has morphed into People magazine. The two are virtually indistinguishable in the amount of pandering to the ultra dumbed down celebrity worship demographic that buys magazines in supermarket checkout lines.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#25)
    by Slado on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 05:46:07 AM EST
    Ernesto...it pains to say it but you're right. I dumped Newsweek a couple years ago because it was awful in it's bias and bad journalism. Now Time is trying to become the People of the news weeklies like you said. But in all seriousness they are desperate because frankly why should people even buy magazines anymore? You don't get news from them so the only thing you do get is expose' and entertainment articles and sometimes good opinion pieces. The NYT's LAtimes etc... and the weekly news magazines are screwed becase readership is dwindling...not for biases, although that doesn't help...but because nerds like us read news through the internet and only buy magaizines/newspapers because we think we should and out of habit. Anyway that's my two cents. I could care less who they put on the cover because it's their magazine. If I don't like it I don't have to buy it. And more and more of us aren't.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#26)
    by aw on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 09:10:58 AM EST
    I would have preferred Cindy Sheehan.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 09:33:23 AM EST
    aw: She blew it with her anti-israeli remarks.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#28)
    by demohypocrates on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 03:01:02 PM EST
    Ernesto, There is nothing per se radical about protesting perceived war crimes. But protesting against a feller who has spent countless hours and raised millions, if not billions of dollars fighting famine, poverty and AIDS in Africa because that individual isnt protesting war crimes, IS radical. Andreas, I am sorry but if Bono said the things you probably wish he would say, he'd be just another rock/star Hollywood type that nobody listens to. Often your voice is better heard through a gentle whisper than through a bullhorn.

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#29)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 10:25:13 PM EST
    demo...yes it's cool that Bono was able to coerce some obscenely wealthy people to give back a few crumbs off their table to the uber-exploited 3rd world masses. But does he have to give cover to war criminals to do it?

    Re: Time Magazine: Persons of the Year (none / 0) (#30)
    by ltgesq on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 10:44:32 PM EST
    It must be really nice to be able to repurchase your reputation after a career of predatory activity. He is largely responsible for hundreds of millions of man hour losses because of the sloppy software that won't keep the system software safe from viruses. and, I would much rather see angelena Jolie as woman of the year. Practically speaking, all bono has done is give cover to extremely conservative senators like santorum who then turn around and support the suspension of aids programs adminmistered by any group that emphasises condom use and family planning. All he has managed to accomplish in the states is a lot of "pledges" to contribute to aids issues -- once they find a charity like Bill Frist's that can kick back to republicans. Plus, she looks a heck of a lot nicer on my office coffee table.

    Time Magazine: Persons of the Year | 30 comments (30 topical)