GUI

[cbbrowne-HInyCGIudOg at public.gmane.org]

> Worse, they condition this on non-sale of competitive products.  This
> breaks the laws on allowed pricing policy in at least half the
> civilized world as I know it. Worse again, after the competition
> folds, the prices double or triple.  This is why price dumping is
> illegal. It can put a competitor with deep pockets (or with
> artificially very cheap labor) in the monopolist position within a few
> years, while causing countless businesses to fold and loss of tax
> income from such businesses plus unemployment that cannot be sustained
> (for lack of a tax base) on a massive scale. This is especially true
> if the monopolist is offshore.  Sounds familiar ? Fyi in most
> civilized places there are solid rules about published prices and the
> obligation of companies to stand by them. This means *both* upwards
> *and* downwards adjustments are not allowed (within reasonable limits)
> once the prices are published.

And what is further interesting about the Microsoft situation is that
the _genuine_ political opposition is mostly taking place outside the
US.

In the US, Microsoft can wave the American flag and say, "Support us!
It's Unamerican to do otherwise!"

But any place where they are 'alien,' the money that goes into licenses
is being sent to a foreign nation, taking money out of the domestic
software market.  Microsoft can pay for a lot of lobbyists, but the only
country in which they can play the "patriotism" card is the US.  If they
buy off politicians, it can't be disguised as some form of patriotism.
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