Nuke Redmond!

From: John Tinker <jtinker_at_coin.org>
Date: Tue Jan 16 08:55:22 2001

Richard Erlacher wrote:

>
> It's because, not only are other companies as devious, in fact ALL
other
> surviving companies are, in their way, as devious, but that's what
they're
> SUPPOSED to be.

No, companies are limited liability constructs of the state. They fall
under the same social contract that the state does, even more so. Yes,
we can, and should, insist that corporations be ethical. The nature of
a corporation's "rights" is quite different than the nature of an
individual's rights. The corporation exists at the pleasure of the
state. Corporations are SUPPOSED to be what the state intends them to
be. The same is not true of individuals. The state has the power to
regulate the ethical behavior of corporations, even to the extent of
demanding that the corporation be altruistic. But altruism is not the
issue with Microsoft. Rather the issue is unethical business practice.

Beyond that, you have not answered my question as to why you are
defending unethical behavior. Why not let those who would promote
ethical behavior take the lead, even if you don't think they have much
chance at success? Why try to shoot them down? What is to be gained by
it?

-- John Tinker
Received on Tue Jan 16 2001 - 08:55:22 GMT