Bruce Kesler is right. No wonder Clinton opposed freedom in both cases.

Open Source Developers intervene in Microsoft EU lawsuit reports Computer Weekly. I am not a tecki and Microsoft may not seem to need my help but, at the moment, it fights for us all. The future of global prosperity depends on the ability of the developed countries to transfer much of routine production to the South. As long as innovation can create enough new jobs to make up for the lost ones, everybody wins. For this happy state of affairs to continue innovation must be encouraged and not punished.

Unfortunately, as Ann Jensen argues by attempting to force Microsoft to reveal its codes, the EU wishes to punish the goose that is laying the golden eggs to the delight of those hoping to benefit :

Sir, Jon A. Hall of Linux argues (Letters, November 18) that European companies should not be alarmed by a recent decision by the European Commission that threatens to obliterate Microsoft trade secrets representing millions of dollars of research and development investment, since few of them are ever likely to find themselves in Microsoft's shoes. This line of argument is surely a dangerous call to inaction. Not only is any company with a 30-40 per cent market share potentially vulnerable to Brussels' new approach, but also - and more importantly - we are all likely to suffer the effects of a European competition policy that punishes innovative and successful companies.

But punishing the strong is a trademark of the EU ideology of transnational progressivism. If you do not believe me just read Eli Noam's article on the Internet Third Wave:

The first wave was the early generation of ‘techies’ who cooperatively established the technology and culture of the Internet. They were largely apolitical. The second wave were the innovators and dotcom entrepreneurs who created industries from scratch. They were largely anti-political and libertarian. The third wave, strongly represented in Tunis through NGOs, is that of the Internet social activists, under the loose umbrella of “civil society”, who are highly political and often seek a state role in the Internet. What is manifest is the shift of energy from the second wave that sought to push the envelope to the activist third wave that seeks to redress problems and grievances.

Yes, the Third wavers are internationalist progressives. Those who moved the Marxist slogan, from each according to his ability to which according to his need, into the global arena. It is a small wonder that tyrants are their best friends:

This syllogism is shared by the anti-authoritarian left with the political right and traditionalists who are deeply suspicious of information medias’ role in modernism and hedonism, and with most governments wishing to control information media. China’s Vice Premier minced no words when he declared in Tunis that “For the Internet, we need effective measures to fight against…anything that harms state security.” Together, this is a formidable grouping. Its NGO members are well-connected electronically and instantaneously into a world-wide activist network of a kind that never existed before. They exhibited at the summit effective collaborative skills. They can run electronic circles not only around governments that are in their way - from Tunisia to the US - but also around traditional media firms.

These supposed"do gooders" began with medicine and forced Pharmaceutical companies to give up their patents to AID medications. Dying people trump patents, they argued successfully. The production of the generic antiviral are about to move to China where they can be produced for a penny a piece. I wonder where will the investment for the next generation of AID drugs come from now that drug companies learned that Viagra is not only profitable but its patent is safer.

In any case, having established a precedent the unholy alliance moved to appropriate computer software and Internet control. Only the fat cats such as the Americans and Microsoft will lose, they argue. Wrong. Just as with Communism, the pie will shrink and the process empowers the wrong people.