[Am-info] Shame on the U.S. computer industry

[John J. Urbaniak]

Gene Gaines wrote:

> "Shame on the U.S. computer industry."
>
>
> We are letting one company, dominated by one man, do this to us.
>
> Who will bear the guilt, who will be blamed?  That man and that
> company, but also others in power who let it happen.
>

I nominate (Sir) Lou Gerstner of IBM, Knight of the British Empire.

He had a solid competitor to Windows in OS/2.  He had plenty of
ammunition to use in the war against Windows - IBM patents.

He had a growing, satisfied user base.

But he sold out, claiming it was for "business" reasons.

It has surely turned out to have been *bad* business: IBM stock is
plummeting, revenues are falling, profits are falling.  Customers are
dissatisfied, partners are being screwed (except for Peregrine Systems,
whose CEO, CFO and lead Counsel have recently resigned in disgrace due
to a $100,000,000 "discrepancy" and who faces no less than four major
stockholder's lawsuits, gets royal treatment from IBM), IBM pension
funds have been raided, and decent, hardworking IBM employees get the
layoff axe.

Gerstner and his cronies walked away with enormous bonuses while the
company flops and founders like a beached whale.

I ask WHY HASN'T IBM SUED MICROSOFT?

I suggest: Because Gerstner and his cronies conspired for personal gain
with Microsoft to establish their monopoly.  Gerstner sold out IBM and
the whole computing industry.  And Palmisano is Gerstner's hand-picked
successor.

Any seconds for my nomination?

John


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