Summary: Microsoft plays the game of politics in Brussels while the very same people may earn key positions in the US government

Microsoft's Craig Mundie dislikes Free software and even transparency, but this did not prevent the Democrats (with Microsoft affinity [1, 2, 3]) from giving this man a prominent role in the government's overall judgment. A couple of days ago we showed how seriously Microsoft takes politics and there is another new article about it in The Inquirer.

Microsoft apparently makes you a good politician

WHEN TOP VOLES flee Redmond for greener pastures the fact that they have Microsoft on their CV means that they are eligible for a political career, apparently.

[...]

Another impatient Vole on the political circuit is Suzan DelBene, the former Windows Mobile executive now challenging Representative Dave Reichert. Reichert has a history of dealing with impatient Voles as he successfully fought off two political challenges from another former Microsoft employee, Darcy Burner.

This involvement of Microsoft in the United States government is sparse and complex, but right now we shall focus solely on Craig Mundie, who happens to be the latest example. Microsoft has a history is using the US government to fight the EU.

A reader has just sent us some information, alleging that "Mundie tries to flog 'cloud computing' under the guise of helping Europe overcome its lack of preparedness in education in science and technology." Only a couple of weeks ago, Craig Mundie had what our reader calls "European Parliament breakfast."

From page 14 of the PDF (Mundie's talk):

With respect to the question Europe versus America, when you have these very fundamental changes, opportunity is created and in my view, the way to answer that question is really to ask “Is Europe prepared for the change?” And I would have to tell you that today, it isn’t by and large...

Going a little while back, we also find Craig Mundie going to Brussels and meeting those who are supposed to punish Microsoft for its serious violations of competition law.

Ever wondered why Microsoft software needs continually to be patched and updated? Microsoft Corp.'s Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie believes it's because software development is still more an art than a science.

Mundie was speaking on one of his first foreign trips since taking over the technology strategy and policy roles from iconic company founder Bill Gates, at a press briefing in Brussels late Monday billed as a glance into the future of the technology industry.

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Does Microsoft plan to do to Google what it did to Netscape? (Netscape was eclipsed when Microsoft attached its own Web browser, Internet Explorer, to Windows, sparking an antitrust battle with the U.S. department of Justice.)

"I hope so," Mundie replied.

[..]

Mundie was in Brussels to give a keynote speech at a conference on European venture capitalism, hosted by Microsoft.

During his visit to the European capital he said he met with the staff of European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, as well as civil servants in the information society department of the Commission -- not quite the top level meetings enjoyed by Gates on his occasional visits to Brussels in recent years.

Here we have yet another "schmoozing" trip. It's important to explore and to understand how much room there is for manipulation of this 'system', which is practically just a group of human beings. They are all corruptible and only if their reputation is at stake will they stay loyal to principles worth obeying. ⬆

"[A]mazing that corruption is excepted by the entire developed world. stunning that it has met with resistance only with some developing nations and maybe the european union. what should have been an overwhelming anger by all nations . the notion that developed nation are immune to corruption is bogus. microsoft did it in full view, without any hesitation. microsoft should be nailed for this."

--Ashok Pai