Today is a day of remembrance and celebration. Not for some politician or king. For someone much better. A day, for many around the world, to celebrate the life of Steve Jobs.
Personally, it gives me pause for thought about how much he changed my life. At 10 years old, in 1981, I remember begging my parents for a computer. They didn't know anything about computers. Heck, I don't even remember how I knew about it or why I felt this overwhelming desire to have one. But, I did.
My grandfather was an electronics and communications tinkerer and a Ham Radio (aka. Amateur Radio) aficionado. He had a 200 foot tall antennae in his backyard that was so large you could see it from miles away. Its tentacles hung well over the property line on every side of his yard… that was back in the old days before zoning laws and frivolous lawsuits… and whining neighbors. I'd watch wide eyed as he would go for his morning “sked” (schedule) and talk with people from around the world or even listen in to astronauts. Sure, they'd mostly just ask how the weather was “over there” and other completely meaningless conversations. But, that wasn't the point. The point was that he could talk to anyone on Earth from his basement!
He, more than anyone, understood my desire to have a computer. After all, ham radio was a precursor to the internet. So, when he heard about my request he found a company that manufactured computers in Vietnam and ordered it. A few weeks later it arrived and we had to build it ourselves. It was an Apple II+ clone called a Unitron.
;)
September 1983 in the Hamshack – Click to EnlargeI spent most of my adolescence on that Unitron in my grandfather's basement in the room called the HamShack.
As I sit here today, 30 years later, in front of the computer, headphones on, listening to music off iTunes and on my iPhone, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to Steve Jobs.
EAT THE RICH
Sadly, maybe it is for the best that Steve left this realm now. After all, the uneducated masses are beginning to light the torches and get out the pitchforks and go after the “greedy” rich.
I hate to mention Elizabeth Warren on the same page as Steve Jobs but I do so to make a point.
Here is what she said recently:
Before we talk about why Elizabeth is the devil and Steve Jobs was like a god, let's run her statement through a truth-analyzer:
To add to the insanity, Roseanne Barr, has called for anyone with over $100 million to be beheaded if they do not give it away. There is one thing that you can be absolutely sure of, then. Roseanne Barr is not worth more than $100 million.
Socialism/Collectivism/Statism/Communism, after having failed countless times and having impoverished and literally murdered hundreds of millions of people can only, at this point, be described as a sociopathic brain disorder.
Let's contrast Elizabeth Warren to Steve Jobs.
Elizabeth Warren is a thief. Not much more needs to be said about her after that.
Steve Jobs transformed an industry which created untold wealth that he placed no claim on.
Let's start with the 11,000 highly paid technologists at their Cupertino campus. After that we move on to the entire supply chain that manufactured and provided binary products to make up Apple products. Then let's move on to all the creatives who have used his products, including musicians who, upon understanding the business model, were greatly enriched by iTunes. Let's look at the App Store which allowed thousands of developers at home to become technology software entrepreneurs (would there be an Angry Birds without Steve Jobs?). Never mind that he single handedly did what the Department of Injustice couldn't do, break the Microsoft stranglehold on the desktop market. Linux has done amazing things, but it is far from going mainstream on the desktop. Because of Apple, Microsoft was forced to up their game; a fact that makes everybody win – blue screens of death have reduced dramatically in recent years since Apple has taken a larger share of the market.
For all of this, he has no “social debts” to pay back; his payment forward in value to humanity was far greater than what he got to keep.
THERE ARE MILLIONS OF STEVE JOBS'
Steve Jobs directly affected and enriched the lives of billions. But, he isn't the only one. There are countless other Steve Jobs' in the world today. Sure, you may not know their name or their products specifically but they are also to be recognized and honored.
Right now there is someone in China who is devoting years of his life to making an electronic component for 5% cheaper than can currently be made – something that could save the world massive amounts. Someone in India is working night and day to put together a new battery system that could hail the next wave of cheap, clean transportation. Right now, in Peru, a man is slaving through the jungle on a lifelong quest for a copper deposit – a deposit that if found could supply the world with copper for years.
All of these people, thanks to capitalism, work for us. They don't need to “give back”. They don't owe us anything. We owe them.
Anyone who is producing more than they are consuming should be considered a friend to mankind. Anyone who wants to take the fruits of their labor, by force, and give it to those who produce nothing and only consume is the enemy.
JOBS CREATED JOBS
Today, the braying masses who have been dumbed down in the indoctrination camps (schools) all clamor for people like Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren to “create jobs”.
The way to “create” jobs has been shown by countless people like Steve Jobs, yet they say we should go after the rich and take away from their production and give their wealth to government to be destroyed. It's no wonder “lost job” sympathy cards are now such top sellers.
Steve Jobs was just one of millions who create the wealth we have in society. We should be exalting anyone who creates wealth. Whether they find a copper mine, open a successful restaurant or just serve hot dogs at baseball games and keep their expenses so low that they can save a portion of their salary each month, these should be our heroes.
In the world of socialism these people are supposed to be our enemies. Socialism/Statism contorts everything. It makes bad, good and good, bad.
If Elizabeth Warren was around twenty years ago and stole most of Steve Job's money after his first success with Apple, he would have never had enough capital to build his NeXT venture which led full circle back to his return at Apple and to things like the iPhone, iTunes and iPad. In fact, every industry would see much of the capital it needs to produce great products and necessities lost… meaning countless untold developments and innovations would never make it to market.
We'd live in a much, much darker world if people like Elizabeth Warren are allowed to “spread the wealth”.
On Steve Jobs' tombstone it should state, “Here lies a man who enriched the lives of billions and gave more than almost any other”. If Elizabeth Warren were to write Steve Job's tombstone, it would read, ”So he built a company. Good for him.”
R.I.P. MR. JOBS
Steve Jobs was quoted as saying, “I want to put a ding in the universe.”
Sir, you put a serious ding in the universe and in my own personal life. I thank you. And I will use the keyboard which you introduced to me to keep promoting your values of hard work, vision and innovation and fight against those who detract from that for their own selfish or deluded means.
-Thank you to my good friend, Pete Kofod, for his inspiration for this piece
