by Ed Henry
.............................................................................The lawsuit
..........First of all, I think its extreme hypocrisy for a government that is itself the greatest violator of trust and anti-trust laws to be suing anyone. Considering what the federal government is doing stealing Social Security and other entitlement overpayments, calling such funds "off budget revenue" or a "surplus," puts them completely out of the picture when it comes to judging or regulating a company that has done so much for the personal computer industry.
..........Secondly, I do not understand what the complaint is about Microsoft's policies. What have they done wrong or illegal? If bureaucrats think that competition under the free enterprise system is something other than outright warfare, then they need to have their heads examined.
..........So Microsoft included its browser, Internet Explorer, in every Windows program they sold to the public or in any basic system they sold to other providers. What's wrong with that? I have received no less than 13, count them, thirteen free browser disks in the mail from America On Line. And I've received a few from Juno and other browser companies. Is that any different than giving your own browser away in every operating system you sell? Where's the beef?
..........I can delete Internet Explorer from my Windows system in less than three minutes. It's gone, wiped out. That's certainly much faster than installing AOL's give away. It's my choice. As it is, I've got three browsers in my machine: Internet Explorer, Netscape and Opera. I tried AOL and didn't like it. I think it's mostly for people who enjoy chat rooms or games while I'm more interested in research. That doesn't stop them from sending me more free new and improved disks in the mail. Why isn't the government suing them?
.....................................................................Paranoia
..........Never forget that our own federal government is the biggest information gatherer in the world. It has 23 different "intelligence" agencies ranging from the CIA and FBI to security for the President, his family, Elian Gonzalez and his family. There is no one else in the world as devoted to spying or collecting information. If they could, they would have barcodes tattooed on our foreheads or forearms.
..........Supposing, just supposing that the federal government wanted a back door into every personal computer in the country. A way around every firewall or security mechanism invented or imaginable. Who would they go to?
..........Suppose further, that the whole objective behind the suit against Microsoft is to get Bill Gates at the back room bargaining table, just like you see every week on the only television show written by people over thirty: Law and Order.
..........How much do you trust Bill Gates in such a situation? How much do you trust your own federal government? Will you ever know the final deal? How?
