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Details of MSFT's Antitrust Lobbying

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the stuff-to-read dept.

An anonymous sent in linkage to "A new ZDNet article detailing new evidence presented to the judge presiding over the Microsoft anti-trust case. It shows that Microsoft made political contributions during last year's (well, 2000's) elections on a scale never seen before... over $6 million. As comparison, this is four times the amount spent by Enron. It also reveals that Microsoft has been hiring every political lobbyist, and every law firm, with anti-trust expertise and putting them to work on unrelated projects- anything to make them unavailable to work for critics of Microsoft."

3 of 616 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Accountability by Amarok.Org · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    You think the US government would decline contributions from any and all companies who have had their questionable business behaviour legally challenged.

    Kinda makes sense, no? A lot like convicts being unable to cast a vote.

    Not even remotely related. Why?
    Convicts have been CONVICTED. As punative measure, their ability to vote has been restricted.

    In this case, Microsoft had been challenged, but not yet convicted. Ever hear of a little concept known as "Innocent until PROVEN guilty"? Were this not the case, simply waging unfounded allegations against any person or company could (and likely would) impact that entity strongly for the worse.

    And, as a nit to pick, it's not the "US govenment" that's accepting the contributions - it's PEOPLE and CAMPAIGNS that are running for office in the same. That money goes into getting and keeping people in office, not into the Federal coffers.

    --
    -- "Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?"
  2. We have no one to blame but our dollars by mactari · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    "The only truly effective Campaign Finance Reform is... " to remove the religion of capitalism that subverts the value of the democratic ideal of "one individual, one vote" through a republic based on the substitution of votes with dollars -- which will always give the loudest voice to the richest of the rich.

    As long as the US is a capitalistic state, the dollar will be mightier than the individual.

    --

    It's all 0s and 1s. Or it's not.
  3. Re:Isn't this just like ... by sheldon · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Huh? Buying shelf space is business as usual in the United States.

    Oh but wait! It get's worse than that. Can you believe that companies often given money to retailers so that they will *SHOCK* advertise their products?

    I'm actually becoming sick to my stomach thinking that there are people in this nation as naive and stupid as yourself. :(