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Microsoft Fakes Citizen Letters of Support
An Anonymous Coward writes: "According to this Seattle Times article, Microsoft is sending letters to Utah's Attorney General in support of the company, but with fake signatures of citizens (some of whom are dead!). The article says: "Letters sent in the last month are on personalized stationery using different wording, color and typefaces, details that distinguish Microsoft's efforts from lobbying tactics that go on in politics every day. State law-enforcement officials became suspicious after noticing that the same sentences appear in the letters and that some return addresses appeared invalid."" The original source appears to be this story in the LA Times today. We here at Slashdot would like to take the time to say that strong competition and innovation have been the twin hallmarks of the technology industry, and if the future is going to be as successful as the recent past, the technology sector must remain free from excess regulation.
Why is it that when it comes to anything that has to do with society, the \. editors (yes, the slash leans left on purpose) push forward an authoritarian and often socialist view of government regulation and initiative
Why do you believe extreme authoritarianism is socialism? This is *NOT* true at all. Social Democratic and Communist principles have nothing to do with authoritarianism or Fascism. Stalin may have been a tyrant - but so are plenty of leaders when given an opportunity.
Think Nixon, Think about the AstroTurfing MS is doing in this article, Think about your Government, think about the *REALITY* of American McCarthyism.. (which is alive and well btw) and what *that* really means about America.
Id say that you have a very healthy Authoritarian-Capitalist system in America. You have a body, governing with the tact of Il Duce.
When you ignorantly berate socialism, by insinuating it is an 'extreme form of authoritarianism' is, at best, ignorant and misguided.
Would it surprise you to believe that Socialists have 'personal freedom' as one of its major goals? You do understand that being A Slave to the Bosses vs. A slave to the State vs A slave to the King still leaves you a slave. One of the tenants of Socialism (and Communism) is that the 'economy' and 'means of production' are controlled democratically - by citizens... they are given the additional Civic Right of helping guide their economic destiny, they are given the right to participate in the shaping of their economy.
American Dogma has convinced its people that "economic freedom and free markets mean real freedom, Socialist who seek to heavily regulate and direct the economy are really trying to take away your property && freedom". This is untrue - what Socialists mostly assert is that BOSSES (Capital 'owners') will not be permitted to rule the economy without the input of the citizenry... Everyone must work for a living, and Capital owners, when allowed run freely will incarnate themselves kings and rulers.
What does this have to do with the article? Well, when you think about it, M$, now completely so out of control - seemingly above the law - that it will now replace the political will of * real * people with its own.. you see the final step of Capitalism out of control - the inevitable end of Free Market Capitalism: Plutocracy
This is why people goto Seattle, Genova, Quebec and Washington, D.C. this September.