[Video] Microsoft is Like Big Oil, Big Tobacco, and Other Perpetrators of Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt/Fear-mongering
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Lobbying Tactics of Subsidised Villains
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0
TODAY'S first video (yes, more to follow) concerns greenwashing, denial of climate change (which takes many forms), and how that relates to openwashing, Microsoft lobbying, and Microsoft subsidies (e.g. bailouts in the form of 'defence' contracts). It turns out some interesting analogies/similarities exist. Those include the Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD) tactics.
I start with the sincere assertion that nowadays the greenwashing extends to politics; for some Green Party politicians it's green as in money (in the US the money is green) or green like KSA is green (the flag) and perhaps even Gazprom/Kremlin. After voting Green for well over a decade last Thursday I voted differently because I'm not interested in posturing or in lying. A friend told me last week that "in Sweden they stopped even a pretence of environmental concern and have been pushing urban and openly Islamist agendas for a decade or so now."
Nowadays we have "Open Source" speakers who promote Microsoft, GitHub, and basically things that exist to attack both Free software and Open Source. So from greenwashing we've moved to openwashing - a term I coined over 15 years ago.
I explain that it is ironic, as in the case of Microsoft speaking for OSI and Linux Foundation (two examples published only hours ago) what we're seeing is akin to oil-rich nations' influence inside events, panels etc. We're meant to think that the world's biggest polluters or those who benefit financially from this planet burning are in fact speaking for environmentalists. It is really that outrageous. Activists (grassroots) are infuriated by this.
"Influence through infiltration and subversion I presume," my friend said. "They seem to have a history of that. Similar tactics (and perhaps same PR/lobbying firms) as Microsoft."
"Petrochemical fuel is still very heavily subsidized. Those subsidies could be moved over to renewables instead."
Initially I felt like comparing Microsoft infiltration to the climate change debate wouldn't be helpful, but the more I thought about it, the more analogies emerged. My friend reminded me that Microsoft is also "very heavily subsidised, in part through intentional legal inaction and footdragging by the courts and responsible agencies."
Then there's the angle of FUD and disinformation. "There is so much disinformation out there that it is probably better to point out Microsoft ties/similarities to Big Tobacco."
To give a relevant example of FUD and disinformation, consider this nonsense from Bill Gates-funded media. "There was some FUD a few months ago about the EVs being heavier and the implication that they were 'worse' for the roads than gas cars," the friend reminded me, "further implying that the dreadful disastrous shape of the roads is their fault. However, < 1% of road damage is by passenger cars and the > 99% is caused by freight, which don't pay their share."
There have been no retractions despite strong debunkings, so that too resembles Microsoft. How long have they told the public that "Linux" is impossible for non-geeks to use and you must learn "the command line"?
As my friend explains: "It was not just The [Daily] Fail but in papers around Europe as well. So apparently it was a coordinated campaign of lies." █