NationStates Jolt Archive

Monopolies as well as media conglomeration shall be outlawed by all UN Nations. Citizens should be able to recieve news from an non-partisan, independent source. In addition, citizens should be able to encourage competition by not being forced into buying one product (cough...Windows...cough)

Oh yes and we all know that big brother hindering the private sector will solve more problems than it will cause... RIGGGHHHTT... Excuse me while I sharpen my bayonet in preparation to ward off the fascist hordes you seek to let loose upon the people of the world.

OOC: NS is not real life. There is no Microsoft.

IC: Yet another socialist proposal by Our Own Laziness. Government has no place placing limits on the accumulation of property, and any action on the part of the government of Our Own Laziness that results in damage to the legitimately-acquired property of private entities based in G Bugles or attempts to limit a company's freedom to build and sell its products as it chooses will be met by military action.

Couldn't it be argued that operating systems, like phone networks, are a natural monopoly? If you're unaware of what the term "natural monopoly" means, I'm not inclined to trust you with my nation's economic future -- it's a situation where competition may be counterproductive because it increases the costs involved for all parties. Take phone systems; if each company had to erect its own network, we would have five or six networks, all of which might well require each consumer to have five or six phones -- and what have we gained? The turnover for a natural monopoly is that, as with phone systems and power companies, they are almost invariably regulated by government.

War is Peace!

Freedome is Slavery!

Ignorance is Strength!

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Obviously... no one HAS to use windows :)

True, most people whine about it but refuse to go for a competitor's product line, I don't know how many times I see a person slagging Microsoft while ignoring the fact its what they used to build their web site with

(People are fundamentally dumb at times, they use the generic Front Page pre-set themes for their site, :roll: )

By the by, in the tradition here, "Whats a Microsoft?"

:D

- The Rep of Komokom, Regional Minister for Stuff.

By the by, in the tradition here, "Whats a Microsoft?"


The opposite of a Macrohard. :lol:

But seriously, The Rogue Nation of Flibbleites sees this as an issue that should not be decided by the UN but instead by the individual nations.

Indeed I'd argue this will impede heavily on those nations which are influenced or controlled by large corporations. As such I would vote against this.

Make little ones out of the big ones.

Open up commerce, do not be held captive by giant corporations indifferent to your welfare.

Capitalism is a healthy influence but only as long as conditions allow true competition. Without a level playing field there is not capitalism but economic monoculture.

There is no Microsoft in NationStates, there's a Microcosm, and that's about as close as you will get, but you could have got rid of that in an issue.

There is no Microsoft in NationStates, there's a Microcosm, and that's about as close as you will get, but you could have got rid of that in an issue.

PING !

And there is a good point, does the Microcosm issue not deal with anti-trust, breaking down bigger corporations into little ones and the like? Does it not mean one could look on this as a null issue for the U.N. to deal with?

After all, theoretically, a country could decide to do so to the companies registered in their borders, and not allow trade with corporations whom they disagree with who reside across border. Thus protecting themselves and propogating fair trade in other countries....

But I'm probably being too pie in the sky on it I guess...

- The Rep of Komokom, Region Minister of Stuff.