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Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

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Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#31

Post by gjsman-1000 »

sleepybrett wrote: post #29
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what makes me so angry and sad. My objections to the incoming administration largely have nothing to do with policy (I may disagree with policies, but I think it's easy to have an honest disagreement about that, and many of the purported policies I can agree with), but it's that it's now completely overt that the number one qualification for political appointees is obsequious fealty. I mean, we're closing in…

> I mean, we're closing in on banana republic levels of overt corruption: the only thing that matters is bending the knee. my dude, we passed that in 2016

my dude, we passed that in 2008

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#32

Post by sleepybrett »

moderatorjerry wrote: post #10

Oooooooooooooo. That’s a great news. Microsoft is fucked up company. They should not own office, cloud, GitHub, LinkedIn, crm, gaming, AI, OpenAI, and much more. I hope trump breaks them in thousand pieces.

trump won't do shit once they bribe him.

When I voted for harris i was actually voting for lina khan

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#33

Post by QuarterReptile »

netsharc wrote: post #14
paxys wrote: post #2

It'll be interesting to see how the new administration deals with all of the big tech antitrust investigations and lawsuits it inherits. On one hand Trump and the Republicans hate these corporations, and would love the opportunity to take them down a notch. On the other their entire governing agenda is about deregulation, dismantling of federal agencies and being pro-business. Interesting situation to be in.

> On the other their entire governing agenda is about deregulation, dismantling of federal agencies and being pro-business. Oh, honey[1]. If the apparatchik remains spineless and lets them get away with it, there'll be some remnants the supposed agenda, but I think the real agenda is whatever makes them money. Already people close to him are charging others for access to him/cushy jobs[2]. Gosh, I'm trying to re-find…

It sounds like your conspiracy theory is that Trump is just trying to pull off a big payday? I won't demean you by suggesting that you're unaware of the absurdity in that.

As to giving free hotel stays to the government, I'm not well attuned to the conduct of the ultra-rich, but in the reasonably comfortable ranks of the GS-teens, I assure you no one is lining up to spend his own money to make government work, despite the enormous escapes from brain damage that can often be achieved for relatively little money by just going to Staples, Home Depot, etc. and just resupplying the office on one's own dime.

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#34

Post by ethbr1 »

dagmx wrote: post #6

If I’m reading this correctly, it seems to focus largely on Microsoft services tying you to Azure? This could be a pretty big boon to self hosting if successful.

The whole "enterprise Office licenses are only licensed for cloud use on Azure VMs, but no other cloud's" move should 100% be investigated for antitrust.

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#35

Post by ethbr1 »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #26
panarky wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens when you eliminate the independence of agencies like the DOJ and FTC, replace experienced leaders with party loyalists, and tee up opportunities for selective prosecution? Equal justice under law collapses into a race to see which competitor can pay the largest ransom.

This is what makes me so angry and sad. My objections to the incoming administration largely have nothing to do with policy (I may disagree with policies, but I think it's easy to have an honest disagreement about that, and many of the purported policies I can agree with), but it's that it's now completely overt that the number one qualification for political appointees is obsequious fealty. I mean, we're closing in…

It used to be the status quo, before the civil service reforms ~1875.

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#36

Post by PKop »

panarky wrote: post #8
paxys wrote: post #2

It'll be interesting to see how the new administration deals with all of the big tech antitrust investigations and lawsuits it inherits. On one hand Trump and the Republicans hate these corporations, and would love the opportunity to take them down a notch. On the other their entire governing agenda is about deregulation, dismantling of federal agencies and being pro-business. Interesting situation to be in.

What happens when you eliminate the independence of agencies like the DOJ and FTC, replace experienced leaders with party loyalists, and tee up opportunities for selective prosecution? Equal justice under law collapses into a race to see which competitor can pay the largest ransom.

I don't want independent agencies. I want agencies with accountability to the voters through their elected representatives. What you describe is madness. Government bureaucrats that aren't elected, cannot be fired by the people, and... outside the power of the president who is supposed to be in charge of the executive branch? What kind of government is this? Not democracy.

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#37

Post by guhidalg »

PKop wrote: post #36
panarky wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens when you eliminate the independence of agencies like the DOJ and FTC, replace experienced leaders with party loyalists, and tee up opportunities for selective prosecution? Equal justice under law collapses into a race to see which competitor can pay the largest ransom.

I don't want independent agencies. I want agencies with accountability to the voters through their elected representatives. What you describe is madness. Government bureaucrats that aren't elected, cannot be fired by the people, and... outside the power of the president who is supposed to be in charge of the executive branch? What kind of government is this? Not democracy.

All US government agencies are created through congress, by your elected representatives. It is the executive branch (the president, who is also elected) that is then responsible for carrying out the agency's mission. All the high-level government bureaucrats are confirmed by the senate, all elected officials. If a president dismisses them, the senate has to confirm their replacement.

This kind of government is described in the US constitution.

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#38

Post by danielmarkbruce »

panarky wrote: post #8
paxys wrote: post #2

It'll be interesting to see how the new administration deals with all of the big tech antitrust investigations and lawsuits it inherits. On one hand Trump and the Republicans hate these corporations, and would love the opportunity to take them down a notch. On the other their entire governing agenda is about deregulation, dismantling of federal agencies and being pro-business. Interesting situation to be in.

What happens when you eliminate the independence of agencies like the DOJ and FTC, replace experienced leaders with party loyalists, and tee up opportunities for selective prosecution? Equal justice under law collapses into a race to see which competitor can pay the largest ransom.

Trump was elected. The president is supposed to be the head of the administrative branch of the government. He has actually been quite straightforward about what he wants to do.

If a country elects a bunch of bad eggs, it all falls over. There isn't a way around it.

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#39

Post by treyd »

danielmarkbruce wrote: post #38
panarky wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens when you eliminate the independence of agencies like the DOJ and FTC, replace experienced leaders with party loyalists, and tee up opportunities for selective prosecution? Equal justice under law collapses into a race to see which competitor can pay the largest ransom.

Trump was elected . The president is supposed to be the head of the administrative branch of the government. He has actually been quite straightforward about what he wants to do. If a country elects a bunch of bad eggs, it all falls over. There isn't a way around it.

Let's hopw this whole federalism thing works out and states pick up the slack when the federal government can't.

Re: Microsoft Faces Broad Antitrust Investigation from US FTC

#40

Post by danielmarkbruce »

guhidalg wrote: post #37
PKop wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want independent agencies. I want agencies with accountability to the voters through their elected representatives. What you describe is madness. Government bureaucrats that aren't elected, cannot be fired by the people, and... outside the power of the president who is supposed to be in charge of the executive branch? What kind of government is this? Not democracy.

All US government agencies are created through congress, by your elected representatives. It is the executive branch (the president, who is also elected) that is then responsible for carrying out the agency's mission. All the high-level government bureaucrats are confirmed by the senate, all elected officials. If a president dismisses them, the senate has to confirm their replacement. This kind of government is descr…

This is a disingenuous take.

The agencies as they currently function (creating rules) isn't "described in the US constitution". We got here via a combination of practice, legislation and court decisions over decades and decades and decades. And recently court cases are swinging back against the power of the agencies.

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