[Am-info] Re: MS & $40 billion of cash

[John Poltorak]

On Thu, Apr 25, 2002 at 06:57:53PM -0700, sturde@az.com wrote:
> In <20020426014000.D71AE29B85@lists.essential.org>, on 04/25/02 
>    at 09:40 PM, am-info-request@venice.essential.org said:
> 
> I wonder about the $40 billion of cash.  I do not think that MS has been
> spending money like a sailor on shore leave.  But some of its tactics
> lately, seem to me to be more like someone attempting to prevent
> hemorrhaging rather than someone rich.  Why else risk the bad press of
> muscling school districts? 

There is no risk. The press never give Microsoft a hard time.

The only criticism you ever see is in the geek press. The mainstream press 
is in Bill Gates' pocket.

Bill Gates's three day spell in the witness box did not even get a single 
mention on the TV in the UK.

How can this be? The world's richest man, attempting to defend his company 
which has almost 100% of the PC market place against a monopoly charge 
doesn't even rank for a 30 second mention on the national news over a 
three day period, when there is little other competing news.

This whole scenario is absurd and quite surreal. It does remind me of the 
corruption stranglehold of Eastern Europe a few decades ago.

Maybe Microsoft's so called vast reserves of cash are wholly spent on 
keeping politicians and media moguls sweet.

Maybe these assets are in the same cataegry as those that Enronn had.

Wonder which firm of accountants uses... I would be surprised if it was 
anyone else but Andersons.

> James Sturdevant

-- 
John