TIME picks a cop-out...again

For the record, TIME magazine has selected three "Persons of the Year": Bono, Bill Gates, and Gates' wife Melinda. The stated reason for the choice was that these three individuals have done more than anyone else to fight AIDS, Poverty, etc.

Disclaimer: Before I begin railing against TIME for such a poor choice, let me state that I have great respect for both Bono and Mr. Gates (I know next to nothing about Mrs. Gates, but I sure that she is probably also a very nice person). I may be on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Bono, he is the one celebrity political activist who I have respect for. He is an expert on AIDS and Africa; he puts his money where his mouth is; and he works to find real, constructive solutions rather than just screaming that the politicians aren't doing enough. Bill Gates is the quintessential American success story. He dropped out of college in order to follow his dream, and it made him the wealthiest man in the world. Kudos to Bill Gates for playing by his own rules and changing the World in the process.

That said, I think that TIME magazine has chosen politically motivated cop-out as "Person of the Year" FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR!

This is "Person of the Year", not a lifetime acheivement award. To put it quite frankly, I've barely heard anything about either Bono or the Gateses all year. Sure, they've made a few statements about fighting poverty, but that does not qualify them as "the person who affected the world the most in the year 2005; for good or evil, for better or for worse". Bono and Gates have both had a profound impact on the world, but their impact was stretched over many years.

Usually TIME does a pretty good job of at least picking people who had a big impact, but I can think of tons of people who impacted the world more than Bono or Gates. What about Benedict XVI, Condi Rice, Steve Jobs, Angela Merkel, John Paul II, President Bush, Kim Jong Il, Jalal Talabani, Ibrahim Al-Jaafri, Ayatollah Sistani, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Mahmoud Ahminenaijad, Mohammed el-Baredai, John Murtha, Ronnie Earle, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Mahmoud Abbas, Ray Nagin, Kathleen Blanco, Mike Brown, Robert Mugabe, Tony Blair, Hugo Chavez, or Ariel Sharon?

So, nothing against Bono or Bill and Melinda Gates, but I don't think that they qualify as "Persons of the Year". And I'm not just saying that because I don't like TIME. If they had picked almost anyone on the list in the previous paragraph (or many others who are not metioned), I would have at least given them some credit for trying.

So, I've made my choice, and now TIME has made theirs. Who you think did a better job is obviously subjective, but I'm interested in what all of you think.

PLEASE COMMENT ON WHO PICKED A BETTER PERSON OF THE YEAR.

WAS IT ME (Ariel Sharon)
OR TIME MAGAZINE (Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates)?

I'm not looking for a pat on the back, I want honest opinions. If you think TIME did a better job, say so. (please support your opinion with fact).

Also, feel free to comment on who you think should have been Person of the Year.

Tag: Person of the Year