R. Hewitt Pate, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, issued the following statement yesterday after the European Commission announced its order that Microsoft disclose certain information to competitors, offer for sale a version of its Windows Operating System that does not contain the Windows Media Player, and pay a fine of 497 million euros (about $613 million):
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Unlike the U.S. where $$$ comes first, In Europe, PEOPLE come first. What a concept ! Perhaps the U.S. could benefit from thinkin different.
This is too weird. After securing a guilty verdict against Microsoft, now DoJ is one of the biggest Microsoft cheerleaders. <rethorical>Hmmm… why the sudden change?</rethorical>
It does read like M$’s marketing department wrote it. Just goes to prove that the U.S. government is full of money hungry whores. Welecome to America where Justice is for sale.
Bizarro Jeff
That is one hell of a scary statement. Has anyone read Jennifer Government? Sounds like the USofA is closer than I think to this madness.
Ugh.
Yawn. Who cares what Americans think. EU could have fined M$ more up to � 2,5 Billion. If they are not happy with this they end up paying more. No one needs their products so stay in America.
Oh yeah, Europe with it’s near socialism in many countries really has done it right. I for one am glad I live in a country where the government doesn’t meddle in absolutely everything and doesn’t take over 50% of my income in the form of taxes. Yeah, if you like it that way, then Europe is where you need to be. I think I’ll stick it out over here in America thank you, even though we have plenty of people who would love to make it more like Europe over here right now, including the guy running for President from Massachusetts.
Preach on Brother Gene!
This is one of those moments when I become really glad I live here and not over there.
You all need to get past your anti-M$ bias (which I happen to share), and consider the facts. I want Apple to win its battle with M$ because consumers choose Apple–which I think they will–not because some government agency ties one of M$’s hands behind its back.
BTW, the worst part of this whole thread is not the disagreement with DOJ policy, but the cynical assumption that this is driven by campaign contributions despite ZERO evidence of any quid pro quo–that attitude is why good people stay away from running for public office.
What the hell is happening to my United States of America???? The DoJ screwed the pooch the first time around, and now that someone else is finishing up what the DoJ should have cleaned up the first time around. Now the DoJ is looking bad for their light handed penalty and feels that they must “CYOA”.
GO EC!! Don’t drop the ball like the DoJ did. They failed the United States when they had M$ nailed and let them go with a light slap on the wrist.
Weird – why is the DOJ comenting on a ruling by another country? It should quite simply be out of their jurisdiction. Obvsiously the Iraq war syndrome – feel free to jump in wherever you like. …
<<No one needs their products so stay in America>>
And where do you think Apple products come from genius? You’re not just bashing M$ when you bash America and Americans in general you moron.
The most ironic thing is it’s these same Euro whiners that will come crying to the U.S. for help at the first sign of any trouble in their own countries, yet they love to talk sh*t about America all the time. If you wonder why many Americans don’t like you, that’s precisely the reason why. Maybe you need to take a trip to Normandy someday and gain a little bit of appreciation for what the U.S. has done for your precious continent. How quickly some forget eh?
So it’s clear now. M$ has been found guilty of monopolistic marketing tactics by both the US’s DOJ and the EU’s EC.
My question: What if anything, will change?
Answer: Consumers
Thanks to President Bush this country is fast becoming a shell of what it was, and is headed towards a more fascist propaganda driven machine of the christian right and big corperations. Lets do a quick review of the current situation in America:
1) This regime has time and time again lied to the people of America. They even go so far as to make fake news broadcasts with fake news reporters and send them to local stations to broadcast to the people. If that isn’t outright propaganda I dont know what is. The Lies: Medicare, the Iraq War, The War on Terrorism, and many more I am sure.
2) Freedom: Obviously our freedoms have been stripped away as this regime not only passed the patriot act within days of 9-11.
3) Corperations are more important than the people this regime represents: As can be seen in the above article, the Bush admin has gone above and beyond the call of duty to give tax breaks to the extremely rich, let Halliburten rob the American people of their tax money, has allowed Big Money to float their jobs to India instead of providing jobs for the American people, has allowed Mexicans to come into this country so long as they can work for a pittance (taking more jobs from Americans), and….
4) Environment. This regime has set our environment stances backwards in favor of big money polluting so they don’t have to upgrade to better equipment, and has taken so much money from our national parks that they have to close many of them down, and many of them are no longer open year round, etc.
5) Health Care: We tax our people 33% and no one gets health care. Medicare is obvously another example of a big business minded government that cares little for the needs of its people. Why are we paying 10 times the amount for our drugs than they pay in Canada? Hmmmm, could it be the profits that are paying off the government?
The list goes on but those are the major points…
Toby
Don’t need Apple either. We have Nokia and Linux here(Finland) if necessary.
Not to turn this into a political discussion, but anyone who doesn’t think our current administration here in the U.S. would like nothing more than to run things like a Social State (or even a Marxist state in some respects) should really take a look around. Our government may not SEEM as intrusive as some of the more Socialistic ones in Europe, but looks can be deceiving. I love America and all it stands for, and the social and personal freedoms that are being infringed upon by our government are the most important things we have. The U.S. government is just much more covert about their activities than other governments, and quite frankly that bothers me a lot. People need to stop fixating on this patriotic “rah-rah, us against everyone else” sort of mentality here in the U.S. and take a good hard look at what is happening to their own country and the personal, civil and social freedoms that we are lucky to have. They’re being slowly, intentionally and methodically eroded by our own government. Big business and the churches own our government either by outright financing or by spiritual corruption, and anyone who thinks otherwise is just fooling themselves. That’s why this comment from the AG is so disturbing, because it is a glimpse inside the black box our government operates in, alluding to the corruption and the store-bought opinions our politicians have been assigned by their owners. Things are freakin’ scary in this country, people. Dig a little beneath the surface of what you are shown in the mainstream and popular media. You’ll be shocked and outraged.
Bizarro Jeff
Norman
Good that you reminded that USA supported communists during WWII.
Toby
Oh and I forgot SAP (that is though in Germany)
Some of you people are a shame. You act like a country is the end all and be all of your existence. I love America. I am very happy I was born and raised here, but it is only one country of many. It is not “the” country. In this case America has no right to meddle in Europe’s business. I love my country but it is far from perfect. If you take any entry level Poli Sci class you will learn quickly that our government works on the philosophy “pork is kosher.” This is the concept that nothing gets passed in America with out everyone in congress taking something for their lobbies to ensure re-election. I am not condemning America, like I said I love it, but that does not mean I cannot be objective. I think Europe�s solution is the closest thing I have seen to fare yet. It is not perfect, but it is an imperfect situation.
Matthew
Bizarro Jeff… couldn’t have said it better.
Why do people automatically think that one system fits all or is the best over other systems. Not all things about socialism are bad and not everything about capitalism is good. Why can’t you praise one aspect about socialism without criticising the other aspects and vice versa (ditto about capitalism)? Especially, without invoking the tired rethorics about patriotism? Pure capitalism and pure socialism (and others) exists only in philosophical discussions.
You want to be frightened? Here’s a glimpse of the future, already happening today:
http://www.mediaeater.com/cameras/overview.html
Enjoy,
Bizarro Jeff
Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me
I think they’re O.K.
If they don’t give me proper credit
I just walk away
They can beg and they can plead
But they can’t see the light, that’s right
‘Cause the boy with the cold hard cash
Is always Mister Right, ’cause we are
Living in a material world
And I am a material “girl”
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material “girl”
P.S. I’m not a girl
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The RNC and Bush Administration has been bought and paid for. Ever wonder why after the DoJ nailed Micro$oftopoly they abruptly changed direction and rolled over? Micro$oft Money and I am not taking about the program.