[ale] Linux--threatening the American way

[Jeff Hubbs]

I really get mad about the way some people use rhetoric.

The "American Way," huh?  I guess it all depends on what kind of "American"
you're trying to be.  

Slashdot's Jon Katz often uses the term "Corporate Republic" to describe not
some future, science-fictionny time but a condition at which we have already
arrived, one where corporations have more influence and guidance over
day-to-day life than any other entity.

Microsoft is well into the process of being one of those corporations.  They
have already shown that they can boss around a municipality (their license
audit of Virginia Beach); how long before it's a county?  A state?  With
their steady progress toward massive interconnectivity of their operating
system (.NET), to just what extent is MS in the process of getting
everyone's "off button" under their thumb?  At what point will corporations
be in as good or better of a position to conduct foreign policy, carry out
sanctions, or even wage war than governments?  

It is important for MS to influence the rule of law as much as possible; it
is the last thing, barring mass revolt, standing in their way.  

Sure, there are more massive companies than MS, like GM.  But, if I buy a GM
car, no matter which one I buy, I still get to line up the car into turns
myself.  MS has a much deeper level of control over the VERY USE of its
products than that.

- Jeff



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Newton [mailto:anewton at ecotroph.net]
> Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 7:05 AM
> To: Les Neste
> Cc: ale at ale.org
> Subject: Re: [ale] Linux--threatening the American way
> 
> 
> While I did know of this story, I didn't realize the remarks
> were made to Congress.
> 
> I too would be interested in reading the congressional record
> if anyone knows of it.
> 
> -andy
> 
> On Thu, Feb 15, 2001 at 09:22:45PM -0500, Les Neste wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > At 09:13 PM 2/15/2001 -0500, you wrote:
> > >This week, Jim Allchin of Microsoft made an idiotic speech before
> > >Congress, trying to persuade them that open source software was a
> > >dangerous trend and something they ought to limit. He went 
> so far as to
> > >claim that it "threatens innovation". 
> > 
> > Good point Jim Allchin!  Competition always stifles 
> innovation.  The best
> > way to produce a superior product is to give someone 
> monopoly power, at
> > which point they'll work feverishly to invent their own 
> replacement out of
> > the goodness of their heart.
> > 
> > Can anyone point me to the full text of Allchin's speech?  
> Is there a
> > "Congressional Record Online" or something like that?  
> > 
> > There are a couple points I'd like to rebut in a letter to my
> > congresspeople -- such as pointing out the difference between the
> > government "supporting open source" [sic] and the 
> government letting open
> > source continue unhindered -- but I want to base my remarks 
> on Allchin's
> > full presentation and not on out-of-context quotes.  Any 
> help appreciated.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> ..............................................................
> ..............
> > Les Neste  678-778-0382  http://www.lesneste.com
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