Re: Microsoft Increased Lobbying in '98

[Mitch Stone <mstone@vc.net>]

--- From a message sent by Simon Cooke on 12/28/98 2:01 PM ---

>So it just goes to show - money *can* buy you democracy, justice, and the
>American way. It just took Microsoft a damn sight longer to catch onto
>this
>fact than everyone else in the business.

This is at least partially true, though I certainly would not state it in 
such broad and cynical terms. The "everybody does it" excuse covers only 
so many sins, and not this one, in my opinion. The salient fact is that 
Microsoft is currently facing prosecution for antitrust violations, a 
process I think is likely to result (some years from now) in efforts to 
regulate the company. As a matter of common sense we ought track the 
political movements of this monopolist, and not equate them with the 
garden-variety political efforts of companies wielding far less economic 
power. And the truth is, Microsoft may be late to the game (as always), 
but every indication is they intend to play it with gusto.

Mitch Stone
mstone@vc.net