Re: Microsoft Increased Lobbying in '98

[Christopher Pall <christopher.pall@wmich.edu>]

The thing I find that almost all people agree on is that money has destroyed politics and justice in this country.

Is it destroying justice in this case? That's why we're here.

Would these charges have been brought forth without a number of companies donating? Does this invalidate the trial even if Microsoft is guilty?

I say it doesn't invalidate it:

not, for the following reasons:

There are plenty of things that should get done in "Wasteington" DC, for various nefarious and non-nefarious reasons. Just because something gets done
for non-ethical reasons doesn't necessarily invalidate it - it simply proves that there is something wrong with the system.

If Microsoft were doing something petty or something simply mildly unethical, I might fear the system which has brought forth this case. But since in
this case it isn't a petty charge, appropriate measures must be taken to correct the situation.


Mitch Stone wrote:
> 
> --- 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