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Microsoft's Hubris Sets Stage For Epic Drama
The article is not about the justice department's arrogance, it is about
Bill Gates' and Microsoft's arrogance. Has Gates failed to serve the best
interests of his stockholders? It looks that way to me, but time will tell.
At 34% decrease in market valuation is survivable for many, particularly
if your cost basis is a fraction of the current selling price, but it is
surely not a good thing.
There is no question that Microsoft has failed to obey the law. People seem
to want to judge the case based on their perception of whether Gates is a
good guy, or Microsoft is an impressive company. The point is that they
broke the law clearly, repeatedly and flagrantly. Expecting individuals or
organizations to obey the law or pay penalties does not consitute a vendetta
or arrogance on the part of DOJ, it's their job. Punishment has to be
sufficient to persuade the offender to stop offending.
I suspect Gates is banking on his and Microsoft's flattering portrayal by
the lapdog popular press to insulate him from prosecution regardless of what
he does.
Jimmy Buffet's uncle Warren is very vocal about the risk to American
preeminence in the software field. I think this will scare a lot of
citizens as well, and put pressure on the DOJ. I don't personally think it
is a substantive risk. My assessment, in a word, is that competition is
what makes the markeplace work, which is exactly why anticompetitive
practices should not be tolerated.
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