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Bush Administration Stops Microsoft Breakup
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it had been instructed by the Bush Administration to cease its drive to break up Microsoft, which has already been found guilty of violating U.S. anti-trust law in a complaint filed by the Federal Government and 19 states. See the BBC or CNN for more. It isn't clear what wristslap, errr, remedy the Justice Department will seek instead. Update: 09/06 15:21 PM GMT by M : Declan McCullagh of Wired notes: "The text of the DOJ announcement is here. Wired News has an article. Also, the DOJ says a 'Senior Antitrust Division Official' will brief reporters at the department's DC headquarters at 11:30 am ET, so look for some followup stories from that."
There is also a black hole at goatse.cx.
A: None. The Universe spins the bulb, and the Zen master merely stays out of the way.
... and in a related announcement, spokesmen unveiled an upgraded version of the United States government, to be named "Microsoft US/2010", scheduled for release first quarter '02.
Don't blame me. My vote didn't count.
Certainly took MS's checks long enough to clear...
If you ask me, George is just plannifying his strategery to get the economical situations back. Bush, like his father, has a keenly awarity of the severeness of the recent economical turning downward.
Part of the economical restimularity proposed by Bush's administration includes a provision for strengtherizing the stock market. The best way to accomplish this, obviously, is to redistributerate the nations wealth resources. This means we don't want to go after Microsoft. Once the stock market begins to redisconfigure its direction and go itself from its turning down of the economy, the economy will be better!
Leave George alone. He's the best thing to come along since Clinton.
Cheers,
Bowie J. Poag
::Looks in crayola box:: I don't have "Pissed Off".. How's about Maroon?
"All your presidents are belong to us!"
mp3's are only for those with bad memories
pronoblem
I thought that get out of jail free cards only happened in the game of monopoly.
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory happened to be looking at the presumed site of the hole at the moment it absorbed a comet, blasting x-rays off into space as a byproduct.
That hole in the center of the galaxy is Microsoft. It wasn't absorbing a comet, but rather our Department of Justice.
Sigh...
Life is the leading cause of death in America.
Who said that "breaking up is hard to do..."
-Frijoles-
0, 1. (Just my two bits.)
Ummm, 1,0.
Spackler - Keeping Slashdot binarily correct for the last 2 minutes
In some ways this would be like FDR addressing congress on December 8, 1941, "Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
We will therefore abandon Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the Philippines, and all of our bases in the Pacific and leave it to the japanese as a reward for their initiative and innovative spirit, but leave them with a stern warning not to invade Texas."
What this translates to:
May bundle and give products which are the sole source of income, and thus drive out of business, no more than 35 companies per year.
May not bundle and provide free of cost any of the following: oil, natural gas, lumber, minerals or mineral ores.
May not give more than $500 M^H^H^H^H^H$1 billion per annum to the Republican Party, conservative think tanks, and special shadowy organizations which shall remain nameless.
May not give more than $10.00 per annum to any parties other than those affiliated with the Republican Party, unless they have a popular, but nutty candidate which is competing in an upcoming election and may draw away votes from a party which will be remain nameless.
The Microsoft CEO may not spend more than 3 consecutive nights in the Lincoln Bedroom.
May not include less than 64,000 bugs per major release.
Will release a special W. version of Word with a spell checker which forbids use of words over 7 letters or 2 syllables in length.
Microsft products shall be distributed to all enemies of the USA, free of cost, so that we shall know of their weaknesses.
Should Microsoft be found in violation of any* of these conditions, the CEO will be sent to bed without dessert and grounded to his multimillion dollar mansion for one week of his choosing.
* Excepting the oil and gas provisions, under which punishment shall consist of the Microsoft CEO briefly discovering the resting place of James Hoffa, Sr.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Not to mention slashdot is populated with idiots as well. They're a little different though, they think they're intelligent because they installed lunix.
GO LUNIX!!11!!!!!111!!!!111
The picture of Bill in the Wired.com article should be "Eeexcellent, Smithers. It's all going according to plan."
I've got a great plan...
/.'ers out there can take their $$$ from Mr' Bush's ill-advised "tax rebate to the American People(TM)", send those monies to the Open Source Movement of your choice (Patrick Volderking's getting MINE!), and beat Microsoft at its own game. Who needs politicians when you have each other?
all
Money wins again. WRONG!!! Geeks win again!!!
-PONA-
+that's funny...I don't FEEL tardy.+
Sorry guys, it's my fault.
I voted for Bush, and I live in Florida.
I just had no idea he'd so something so... stupid!
I guess that's something that only Harvard Business School could teach someone!