There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me because they want to give something back. They know they didnt look, if youve been successful, you didnt get there on your own. You didnt get there on your own. Im always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
"My attitude is that if the economys good for folks from the bottom up, its gonna be good for everybody. If youve got a plumbing business, youre gonna be better off if youve got a whole bunch of customers who can afford to hire you, and right now everybodys so pinched that business is bad for everybody and I think when you spread the wealth around, its good for everybody."
How many Pinnochios is that? If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If youve got a business you didnt build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didnt get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet. The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.
I just want you to be clear its not that I want to punish your success I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you that theyve got a chance at success too.
Four Pinnochios right there. Government (defense) research created the internet so the armed forces could communicate in an anticipated war with the USSR.
Resourceful men and women have since creatively manipulated the internet to serve business purposes.