RE: GPL & commercial software, the critical distinction (fwd)

Forwarded message:

> Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 06:56:06 -0700
> From: "James A. Donald" <jamesd@echeque.com>
> Subject: RE: GPL & commercial software, the critical distinction (fwd)

> Then your argument that free markets lead to monopoly collapses.

No it doesn't.

> You cannot have monopoly (in the sense of the power to extract monopoly of
> profits) except by state intervention as has been proven by experience time
> and time again.

Examine history with an unbiased eye.

> You have been unable to provide any examples of monopolies except those
> created by state intervention, such as the railaways, and those existent
> soley in your fevered imagination, such as the garment industry.

Incorrect. I have listed several examples (eg meat-processing in the 1920's)
where the resultant involvement of the government came *AFTER* (not before
as you claim) there was evidence of wide spread abuse of the consumer and
the employee of those producters.


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> > You cannot have monopoly (in the sense of the power to
> > extract monopoly profits) except by state intervention as
> > has been proven by experience time and time again.

At 11:06 AM 10/8/98 -0500, Jim Choate wrote:
> Examine history with an unbiased eye.

I have provided specific examples from history.  You have
told us that various undefined markets in unspecified places
at unspecified times were monopolized by unspecified big
companies.

If these monopolies were rampaging all over the place, your
really should be able to name them, and show that specific
named monopoly companes were able to extract specific
identified monopoly profits.

> Incorrect. I have listed several examples (eg
> meat-processing in the 1920's) where the resultant
> involvement of the government came *AFTER* (not before as
> you claim) there was evidence of wide spread abuse of the
> consumer and the employee of those producters.

In what country?  Ruritania?

What was the name of the evil monopoly that dominated the
meat processing industry?

What were their excess profits?

And if they were making excess profits, what stopped any man
and his dog from setting up in business cutting up cattle?

(Unless, of course, it was the government that stopped any
man from slaughtering cattle.)

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         James A. Donald
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http://www.jim.com/jamesd/      James A. Donald