Charles Petzold Quotes
In some far-off distant time, when the twentieth century history of primitive computing is just a murky memory, someone is likely to suppose that devices known as logic gates were named after the famous co-founder of Microsoft Corporation
Petzold, Charles. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software. Microsoft Press, 1999, p. 104.
There were a number of Blacks who believed that they were descended from the progeny of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, one of his slaves. Despite most evidence supporting that position, the Thomas Jefferson Society of Jefferson’s descendents, refused to admit them.
This is a very important economic-political quotation. One conservative mantra in the 20th and 21st centuries was that business growth and development will be spurred by tax cuts in the marginal tax rate that the businessperson would have to pay. “Marginal” means the additional tax for each additional dollar of income. However, the development and growth of most businesses, especially the entrepreneurial ones that tend to create the most new high wage jobs. Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Thomas Watson Jr. and other creators of great business enterprises, in general do not even consider their potential profit as the most important reward. They are almost always on a mission to change the way people function in the world. They generally want to make money but the driving factor is really the change in society that they will produce. While Gates and other great business creators do not change their business behavior on the bases of marginal tax rates (or any other kind to tax rates for the matter), the 2nd and 3rd generation of business manager who takes over existing companies is motivated in great part by marginal tax rates. Summers and many others argue that not only are the best jobs created by those who are unmotivated by tax rates, but they are the same businesses that tend to produce most of the great innovations of society. Therefore, find other ways to incentivize the entrepreneurs rathefr than marginal tax rate policy.
This is an important quotation because Ellison, one of the best businessmen in the world is also much more candid than most others. Here he admits that he strives to achieve monopoly status for his company. Almost all large businesses try to become monopolies so that they do not have to compete on price, quality, and service. Few will admit publicly that much of their effort goes towards an objective that is detrimental to the nation and society and in is in large part illegal.
Charles Petzold is an American programmer and technical author on Microsoft Windows applications. He is also a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional and was named one of Microsoft's seven Windows Pioneers.
