From: rhinoceros (rhinoceros@freemail.gr)
Date: Sun Apr 04 2004 - 14:52:42 MDT
You've probably heard about the 500 million euros fine to Microsoft by the European Union competition commissioner and the reactions across the pond.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/microsoft/Story/0,2763,1178459,00.html
I couldn't resist looking up the full press release of Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader. This type is improbable! After giving a free lecture on economics and the European "stagnation" as opposed to the USA prosperity, he goes on to advice:
http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=1599he
<snip>
This preposterous demand, by a foreign government, will hurt one of America’s most successful companies and harm the hundreds of American IT companies that rely on the multimedia functionality in Windows to offer their own innovative products and services – companies that are responsible for thousands of high-paying American jobs. As the New York Times noted in an editorial last Saturday (March 20), the Commission’s demands ‘would threaten Microsoft’s business model and, more important, harm consumers. The very definition of a computer operating system would essentially be frozen where it is today.’
“In imposing this anti-consumer, anti-innovation penalty, the Commission has blatantly undercut the settlement that was so carefully and painstakingly crafted with Microsoft by the U.S. Department of Justice and several state antitrust authorities. There can be no question that the U.S. Government was entitled to take the lead in this matter – Microsoft is a U.S. company, many if not all of the complaining companies in the EU case are American, and all of the relevant design decisions took place here. Had the Commission been cognizant of America’s legitimate interests in this matter, it would have acted in a manner that complemented the U.S. settlement. Needless to say, the Commission instead selected a path that places its resolution of this case in direct conflict with ours – and threatens the vitality of America’s IT industry in the process.
“The Commission’s complete indifference to the negative impact of its ruling on American jobs, American consumers, and the U.S. economy – and its total disregard of the Department of Justice – are intolerable.
“The European Commission has, of course, on many occasions paid lip service to the importance of international coordination in the area of competition, and on the need for other countries to be sensitive to extraterritorial effects of their antitrust rulings. But actions speak louder than words, and with the Microsoft ruling the Commission appears intent on saying that it considers the Department of Justice, the U.S. courts, and principles of open and fair international trade largely irrelevant.
“It is critical that the Departments of State and Justice to stand up not only for an important American company, but also for U.S. industry, U.S. shareholders, and American workers. If the U.S. Government does not make a clear and strong statement objecting to the EU actions, we will lose influence and credibility for years to come to the detriment of the U.S. economy and U.S. consumers.”
<snip>
[rhinoceros]
I've got to run. I haven't finished digging my bunker yet. Do you think a flag with a "free market" logo would make it safer?
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