Re: The Other Side

[Declan McCullagh <declan@pathfinder.com>]

  I take no position one way or another on Microsoft and monopoly. But I will
  clarify a few points below:
  
  At 18:34 -0500 11/13/97, charles mueller wrote:
  >        The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a right-wing
  >organization, heavily funded by money from the likes of the Olin and Schaife
  >foundations, and is devoted to the repeal of U.S. antitrust laws.  Founded
  >by James Miller, Ronald Reagan's OMB director and then his FTC chairman, it
  >is in the business of paying-- handsomely paying (up to $500 per
  >hour)--so-called "scholars" to trash antitrust.
  
  I don't know about the $500/hr, but your characterization of CEI as a
  right-wing organization is just plain wrong. It's libertarian &
  free-market, not right-wing. It takes positions that are essentially the
  same as Cato's. (Heritage on the other hand is clearly right-wing.) CEI is
  not devoted to the repeal of antitrust laws; that's just one area of many
  they cover.
  
  The difference between right-wing and free-market/libertarian is a pretty
  easy one to make. Unlike conservatives, libertarians would legalize drugs,
  prostitution, not ban pornography, etc.
  
  My only connection with CEI, for the record, is that some folks from CEI
  play on my soccer team.
  
  You may be right on funding; I have no clue. But then it's fair to look at
  funding of Nader's organizations. Forbes ran detailed (and controversial)
  articles about this a few years ago. They claimed that Nader is bankrolled
  by trial lawyers and takes positions on their behalf, even when those
  positions harm consumers.
  
  Personally I believe that individuals and groups are able to adopt
  //principled// positions -- no matter who's funding them. One of these
  principled positions at groups like Cato and CEI, adopted because the
  individuals and economists there honestly believe it's best, is relaxation
  or abolishment of antitrust laws. The groups would take the same position
  no matter who was funding them.
  
  I'm not sure if funding, if you're dealing with a principled organization
  (of ANY political persuasian) is as important as you want it to be.
  
  -Declan