Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was in London today having lunch with 20 of the UK's "top retailers" (members of the British Retail Consortium) and he's also appearing as The Notorious B.G. -- on MTV. It was an interesting forum. Here, for example, is Gates's response to the idea that the Indians and Chinese are taking American jobs:
India and China advancing and getting rich is fantastic news. What that means is that people who have been living in poverty, had ill health and illiteracy, are now getting jobs that allow them to be educated and realize their potential. If we had a choice today where India and China would be as rich as the United States, we should all want that, because not only would it be great for them, but they'd be buying more of our products. ... Their advancing isn't taking away from a finite pool of jobs. What it does is it grows the global economy. It does mean that we have to renew our skills, renew our leadership, and that largely means investing in the education system. So it doesn't have to be a bad thing, it just highlights that we've underinvested in education and in fact other countries do a better job.
You can watch the show online if you have Windows Media Player 10.
The BBC's Rory Cellan Jones also interviewed Gates today, and there's a 2-minute clip of that online. And if that wasn't more than enough, Sir Trevor McDonald interviewed him on ITV.
Oh yes. the UK retailers got stuff about sharing information and supply chain technologies taking time to mature.
Update: Plus... even more Bill Gates in the Guardian, with a Home news story -- Gates unveils his vision of a future made of silicon, by Owen Gibson -- plus a Media Guardian backgrounder, Bill Gates at 50, from Bobbie Johnson!
