Bonum Certa Men Certa

Bill Gates 'Helps' the Next United States President

Obama pumpkin



“Microsoft is pulling out every favor it’s got … It has a very close relationship with DOJ and the White House, and all of that pressure is being brought to bear.”

--Knowledgeable tech industry source [via]



Just when you thought there would be Change™, Microsoft's political movement (or lobby) steps right in. Yes, there is an IDG report about Bill Gates and Barack Obama meeting to discuss ideas. There are already some widely-spread rumours about Obama receiving a Microsoft Zune, which Microsoft bloggers now use to promote the gadget. We have already commented on disappointing provisions on the issue of intellectual monopolies, as well.



Gates' political crusades are nothing new to us. Shortly after that so-called 'retirement' he lobbied the United Nations and the Chinese government. He is also feeding patent trolls who are hostile towards Free software and changing laws in India (striving to legalise or legitimise anti-Free software clauses, then proceeding to extortion).

“Shortly after that so-called 'retirement' he lobbied the United Nations and the Chinese government.”Not so long ago, Gates personally pressured the Mexican and French country leaders to approve OOXML despite opposition (bypassing the technical people). He was also caught making phonecalls to flip US votes on Microsoft OOXML.

Gates is now advising the soon-to-be president on issues like taxation while at the same time personally avoiding tax, just like Microsoft [1, 2]. If this is the company Obama takes advice from, then people will have good reasons to be concerned. Gates is a lawyer, not an economist. Being richer does not mean he understands macro-finance and having stolen so much from the industry ("He is divisive. He is manipulative. He is a user. He has taken much from me and the industry," said Gary Kildall about Gates) does not mean he knows economics better than professors in this field.

Let us never forget those lies for selfish gain (about foreign workers and visas [1, 2]), even personality issues that serve as an advance warning.

'But when Noorda raised the possibility that Washington might block a merger anyway, Gates replied, according to Noorda: "'Don't worry, we know how to handle the Federal Government."' (Gates strongly denies this. "Are you kidding?" he snaps. "The Department of Justice makes their own decisions.")'

More: Going after Microsoft: the FTC didn't know what Bill Gates did - but they were sure he must have done something wrong - investigation into alleged collusion between Microsoft and IBM to control computer operating software systems; CEO William Gates - Cover Story

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