For all of us sick to death of Microsoft dominating tech with their offshore outsourcing, labor arbitraging, monopolistic ways, we have some good news. Microsoft is being investigated for bribery:
Microsoft is entangled in a U.S. government investigation into whether the software maker and some of its business partners resorted to bribery to close deals in China, Romania and Italy, according to a report published Tuesday.
Citing anonymous people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal said the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are examining whether kickbacks were paid to foreign officials to help close sale of software. The probe's targets include resellers of Microsoft software, company consultants and Microsoft's own employees outside the U.S., according to the Journal.
The newspaper emphasized that the inquiry remains in an early stage and there have been no accusations of wrongdoing.
USA Today is already reporting on how Microsoft can wheedle out of it by the infamous tactic of questioning what bribery actually is. What the definition if is is should keep the courts buried for years if it gets to that.
Whether Microsoft actually gets prosecuted for bribery relating to contracts in China, Romania and Italy may hinge on the "something of value" the software giant may have bestowed on an executive or official to influence his or her discharging of public or legal duties.
At least we know why Microsoft's Operating Systems still dominate the world instead of Linux or OS X.
Comments
FCPA still going on for News Corp. - these things go on forever
FCPA investigations are launched and go on and on until the defendants can raise enough money to bribe, sorry, "lobby" the DOJ to drop the case. Worst case scenario for corporations, they pay civil fines and toss a few clowns at the lowest levels that actually exchanged envelopes overseas to the wolves. Those people were probably threatened by the untouchable bosses at higher levels with following their orders or getting fired - of course the highest bosses never do anything unseemly themselves, that would expose them to actual consequences and bosses hate that.
Now in China, that could mean prison, but that's only if the Chinese care - mostly they don't unless they want a bigger cut of $ somehow and threaten foreign corporations. Rio Tinto the Anglo-Australian mining giant had employees convicted there and they got tough sentences. Probably someone up the Chinese food chain didn't get his fair share and got pissed.
As for Microsoft, bust Gates (when he was CEO) for his outright lies regarding the lack of qualified Americans. I want to see HR and everyone else that purposely lies and ignores the tens of thousands of qualified applicants and then perjure themselves in front of our government punished severely; their outright lies destroy our lives and country. I want the outsourcers and everyone else to be confronted with their bullsh*t software programs that screen out all Americans, the hundreds of thousands of applicant names, numbers of times they applied, etc. and the bosses' Congressional testimony as they lied and begged for more foreigners and outsourcing. Perjury, conspiracy to commit perjury, mail and wire fraud, filing false information on official documents (visa applications, etc.), etc. This trial would be quick if held in a normal Western country where $ didn't rule. And then send them away to Lewisburg or Leavenworth or Atlanta to rot. Bill Gates in a yard - I could actually tolerate him then.
Watch as this takes forever and goes nowhere with no real punishment, no deterrence. Now next time someone is pulled over for speeding 5 mph over the limit, that person should see what happens when he tells the officer/Trooper there might be a free lunch in it for him if he lets him off with a warning. Arrested at the scene immediately, charged with at least a misdemeanor, probably a felony, arraigned, held overnight at least, many, many court appearances, legal fees that will bankrupt him, maybe a little jail time and a massive fine. And his name will be published for all to see and point the finger at him like he's the boogeyman. Never find a job again. See how quick and easy it is to figure out what a "benefit" and "something of value" and "offer" and "exchange" are when it's the little guy? And how fast the little guy is screwed time and time again while the big fish just keep on doing what they do?
Bill Gates contd.
To the above list of complaints about Microsoft I will add Mr and Mrs Gates support of efforts to undermine the public school system with their support of Charter Schools, and more testing, especially through their membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, at least until they were found out to belong to it.
Anti monopoly
In New Mexico the legislature is obligated under the State Consitution to prevent trusts, monopolies and other restraints on trade. Can't think of a single time it has ever ever been applied. Maybe the state archives might find a sheep rancher or frontier guide who tried to corner the market in green chile.
Microsoft supports Trans-Pacific Partnership
Once again we have editorials promoting the agenda of big corporations like Microsoft without mentioning anything negative about free trade thus far (economic wasteland of USA proof they don't work) or about the corporations promoting these things.
http://seattletimes.com/html/editorials/2020613843_editpacifictradexml.html
This editorial refers to Microsoft supporting the TPP, but fails to mention Microsoft's bribery issues, Microsoft's repeated lies about American workers, or anything negative at all about "free trade." Notice both sides, D & R, promote this crap and don't care about Americans. It's a Seattle paper, so no doubt Microsoft has just a little sway with writers and papers, but journalism used to mean standing up to big $ in some corners. The editorial quotes one really enthusiastic Democratic legislator, Adam Smith (apparently the writer of The Wealth of Nations is still alive and in Congress):
“If done right, TPP will promote innovation, high labor standards, help small and medium-sized businesses participate, and allow our country and the Pacific Northwest to more actively compete in international markets.”
Yeah, sure, how's that working out for us so far? How are those businesses and labor standards? Better off or getting worse in a race to the absolute bottom? Many millions of lives and years of experience tell the true story.
Are bribes doing international trade "right"? Lying about Americans and insulting them to Congress? These are questions the press should ask Adam Smith and other members on both sides of the aisle, along with Microsoft bosses. Corporate media - doing their paymaster's bidding, PR posing as news. Nothing negative regarding big corporations or free trade at all? Sad.
The Day Microsoft becomes obsolete is a day of rejoicing
From their corporate culture to their cutthroat business tactics to their infamous perma-temp low pay no benefits to their H-1B, fire the Americans agenda to their offshore outsourcing, the world would be a much better place if their technology is finally superseded by Linux, Apple and Google.
Heads up, right now they are "making a deal" in Congress, ignoring the facts, the statistics, the reports and the millions of Americans screaming about their jobs, as well as organized labor and planning on flooding the U.S. with foreign labor through unlimited de facto H-1B, more guest workers and turning our education system into an employer tethered green card ATM.
Guess who demands that, Silicon valley with Microsoft leading the charge. The American STEM worker be damned, the will of the American people be damned, organized labor be damned and most importantly, facts and statistics be damned.
Microsoft donated big to both politicians mentioned about TPP
No shock here - the Microsoft puppets did the paymaster's bidding in the article I posted.
Here it is from opensecrets.
Adam Smith (D) - Microsoft was 3rd in 2012 Campaign Cmtee. contributions, following Northrop and Boeing.
Dave Reichert (R) - Microsoft was 1st in 2012 Campaign Cmtee. contributions. Top leadership PAC contributor too.
So defense, aerospace, computers, etc. all loving the TPP - and the Japanese farmers and everyone not in the corporate boardrooms or on their payroll in government has everything to fear.
The corruption of U.S. politicians is brazen these days
You can trace bills, agendas straight to the money. This is also, in my opinion, why no one goes to jail or corporations face no consequences beyond almost a kick-back fee for wrong doing.
Yeah, and look how cheaply they can be bought
These amounts are trivial! Look how cheaply these people can be bought. How does it feel for them to sell out their country and Americans for $10,000? $20,000? A job for their friends or family? A consulting gig or publishing deal in the future? They must feel oh so good.
I wonder, how do their constituents feel when they are long-term unemployed or a STEM grad that's homeless and has $150,000 in debt? How are UW grads kickin' it grossly overqualified and struggling to survive in 2013? Boeing? Outsourcing? How's that working out? 787 says what? Eh?
Then again, if these politicians cared, they probably wouldn't enter politics, let alone sell out their country or countrymen. "Pale Rider" has more lessons about integrity and corruption/$ and standing up for what's right in 2 short hours than these people could ever understand in their lives.
Perhaps unemployed + grads can pay the whores in Congress?
See, the Congressmen get what they want - $. The unemployed and grads can get what they want - a job in their own country that they often fought and bled for (unlike the whores in Congress). And the colleges and universities can go fuc* themselves, same with big CEOs and boardrooms. So, if Congress acts like a whore, why not let students pay only $20,000 and buy it? The whore gives them laws that get them jobs, the students save $100,000+ in tuition, and the CEOs can rot. It's all good up in the Fall of the Roman, British Empire, and US Empires.
Political co-op
That's not a bad idea. If all small contributors acted as a group, they could potentially buy back Congress but they don't. I don't know if as a whole small contributors are dwarfed by corporations, probably.
This is our problem, fundamentally, is money in politics and why so many say this is job #1. It's gotten way worse as we saw with election 2012.
$20,000 X 99% of population = much richer politicians
The math works out for the politicians. We flip the script on the 1%. The 99% each pay the max they can afford, each 99% submits his/her own law (like the 1% do now through ALEC etc.), the Congressmen pass the laws, and the 99% live like the 1% do. Congressmen don't have to read or write anything, just pass laws individually for 300 million people. Sure, it's ridiculous and pure chaos, but let's enjoy the ride down because it's a circus anyway at this point. Script turned on its head. And all laws really should reward the 99% and utterly destroy the 1% - payback is only fair, I learned this by watching the tactics and lack of morals by the 1%. It's so stupid at this point let's just go full 100% insane stupidity. My civics lessons never taught me these things, but then again I never knew the 1% could actually write and submit their own laws and get them passed completely without any editing or thought or criticism by politicians.