Indian State Encourages Microsoft Removal

cultrhetor writes "The New York Times reports that the communist government in the Indian state of Kerala is trying to remove Microsoft from its public institutions, as part of a campaign against monopolistic corporations. From the article: 'schools and public offices across the state are being encouraged to install free software systems instead of purchasing Microsoft's Windows programs. "It is well-known that Microsoft wants to have a monopoly in the field of computer technology. Naturally, being a democratic and progressive government, we want to encourage the spread of free software," M. A. Baby, the state's education minister, said by telephone.' The government is not banning Microsoft, but it is actively encouraging all 12,500 public schools in the state to install Linux."

Comments

Re:Boo

[rm999]

So many things wrong wiht your post (and I'm pretty sure your reasons have nothing to do with why I was modded down).

People call China communist, but under your definition it is not. People call the US a democracy but it is not. Communism does not have to be under a dictatorship. Please don't tell me you were a polisci major.

"The fact that Kerala is controlled by a coalition whose leading party is the Communist Party does not give Kerala a communist economy or political system."

I called them communist because they are run by the communist party. That is all. Even the article summary called them communist. It is pretty accepted to call Kerala communist.

Oh the irony

[BladesP9]

A communist government, which is a monopoly of it's own right, not giving people a chance to choose based on practices of which itself is guilty. The irony never stops.

Communism against monopolies?

[sprins]

...communist government in the Indian state of Kerala is trying to remove Microsoft from its public institutions, as part of a campaign against monopolistic corporations.

Irony? Communism is a totalitarian political system, isn't it? Apparently the government wants the monopoly on monopolism as well...

Re:On the virtues of being judgemental

[Ekimus]

> A hundred years ago you could have been excused for speaking something so
> horrific on the grounds that the jury was still out. History has now rendered its
> verdict. All of the fad philosophies of the late 19th and early 20th century were
> fatally flawed.

So when was democracy invented again? Every idea has it's flaws but still I do have respect for these ideas (do not mix that up with admiring them) I'm just so full of it that everything that is not a democracy is bad.

And your* so much loved democracy put how many people to guantamo without even being charged for something just because there is a possibility?

*Note: "your democracy" I'm not saying you're from the US