Re: Fair Trade and Anti-Monopoly

[Alan Glanz <aglanz@idsyst.com>]

  Norm --
  I also posted a response to the argument by David that you quote below
  -- some time ago, in fact.  It expressed many of the same ideas you
  have, Norm -- and I'm still awaiting an answer from him.  So, David...?
  
  Alan Glanz
  
  Norm wrote:
  
  > On Sun, 2 Nov 1997 13:14:38 -0500 (EST), David E. Y. Sarna wrote:
  >
  > >I believe that Microsoft has created more wealth in ten years than
  > any
  > >other company in history. And I am not referring to the more than
  > 10,000
  > >Microsoft Millionaires (employees of Microsoft) but rather to the
  > tens
  > >of thousands of small businesses like mine  who grew through
  > nurturing
  > >by Microsoft, and because Microsoft standards, once mastered, allow
  > >little guys to create for the big guys. Microsoft standards are a
  > great
  > >leveler; the low cost of their products put them in reach of all. As
  > >someone who favors giving the little guy a chance, you should be
  > >applauding Microsoft for all it has accomplished.
  >
  >      All I can say is you had better pray that M$ doesn't ever decide
  > they want to compete with you, if so you had better find another niche
  >
  > because I assure you your company will be crushed.  This is how your
  > beloved M$ operates, and for every company like yours that has done
  > well
  > there are several that have been squashed because they either
  > developed
  > better technology (something M$ won't tolerate) or M$ decided their
  > market looked good enough to steal.  So whatever you do you had better
  > be
  > careful not get too big or too profitable, because if you do you just
  > might find yourself in their sights...and if this ever happens you had
  >
  > better hope you didn't allow M$ to work too closely with your people,
  > if
  > so you're likely to see *YOUR* technology in the next version of
  > windoze.
  >
  >      I also believe you're mistaken in your assumption that the
  > computer
  > industry wouldn't have grown the way it has without M$ and that your
  > company couldn't have done what it has without them.  On the contrary
  > M$'s business tactics have done more to kill superior technology than
  > promote it, and IMHO the industry's health would be in much better
  > shape
  > without a strong-armed thug like M$ spending more time and money on
  > their
  > PR machine and trying to kill competing technology than they do on
  > developing their own.
  >
  >      I'm glad your company is doing well, but are you telling us that
  > it
  > couldn't do as well without a company like M$ to hold your hand??  I'm
  >
  > sure M$ has been helpful but don't for a second think it's because
  > they
  > just want to 'do right by you'.  If M$ helps you it's because it's
  > good
  > for M$, and if they ever begin to believe it's no longer in their best
  >
  > interests to help you it will stop.  And you had better not cross
  > them,
  > because if you do you'll quickly learn that what we're talking about
  > here
  > is definitely the truth.
  >
  >  ...Cheers,
  >
  >  ...Norm
  >
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