StanGable said: The EU is going to fail. The UK is already thinking about either getting kicked out of it or leaving it because its conflicting with their own personal goals. Without the U.K. the EU is not as strong. Universal health care WILL NEVER happen in the U.S. because unlike Europe we deal with an enormous amount of immigrants that come here (both legally and illegally) thus why it can't happen. And whereas the EU nations enjoy their free healthcare that takes months just to see a doc, I enjoy the fact that I pay for a good service with a doctor that I want because my job gives me the best.

I believe EU is having a lot more immigrants. UK leaving would mean around 1/10 of population leaving, and besides, UK has been in the EU for so long that i don't think their best intrest would be leaving. About the healthcare, you still can have private insurance. Like the insurance my kids have, which cost 300 Euros a year. The real reason why US will not have similar system, is the rich people, whos taxes would raise the most. They hold the most power and know how to lob. Current system is a lot cheaper for them.

Dodece said: European governments have a twisted sense of economic justice. These are the same governments that fund commercial enterprises to compete with privately owned commercial enterprises. Microsoft flaunted the last fine, and they will flaunt this fine, and why should they cede an economic advantage they earned. Windows isn't a god given gift to the world its the property of a corporation. Europe has a problem with that I suppose they can fund their own software company to develop a operating system. You might gather I take issue with Europe's trading practices. Much of the rest of the world has similar issues. Excessive tariffs, standardization, unfair competition always favoring the local company over the one based in another country. So I put very little credence in what European's consider to be fair or unfair. When a free trade economy says the competition is unfair then I take greater interest.

Evidence shows that Bill Gates stole most of windows from Xerox and Apple, lied to Steve Jobs and IBM, and cheated some random guy out of DOS to become the monopoly they are.  And they are a monopoly, possibly the worst in a hundred years even.  In no other industy is a corporation like MS allowed to exist in the US, and we have a histroy of not fining but dismantling monopolies.  The EU has been much nicer to MS than the US was to Standard Oil and AT&T, and have a right to be disturbed by MS's activites since Windows costs 4 times as much as it should and is severely harming businesses around the world.

ms has loads of caash so this wont make a dent in their account

Well, they tolerate these huge ass chinese companies, but they won't tolerate a huge ass american company. I think some1 is getting payed off.

The US government has treated microsoft far worse than europe has. The only difference is that microsoft actually deserved it when the US was doing it.

MrBubbles said: The US government has treated microsoft far worse than europe has. The only difference is that microsoft actually deserved it when the US was doing it.

Nah, they deserve to get pounded by Europe too. 

 

Judge Snyder: Mr. Burns, in light of your unbelievable contempt for human life, this court fines you $3million.

Montgomery Burns: Smithers, my wallet's in my right front pocket.

[Smithers hands over the money]

Montgomery Burns: Oh, and I'll take that statue of justice too.

Judge Snyder: Sold!

@faxanadu
this is bad news for Sony and Nintendo and other big companies because EU is happy to fine them for anything they find to be inappropriate and they will fine them for a lot of money.

I don't think it's all about hating america but rather hating big companies, or rather taking advantage of big companies.
I don't think EU will pick on the Chinese companies yet.

If the Chinese don't start working with the rest of the world on environmental politics, there's a fairly good chance that they will be the EU's next target.

Anyway, MS deserves to lose every penny. They were busted on anti-trust laws and failed to comply with the court's orders. They knew what it'd cost them to not comply months before they chose to take that route, and they took it anyway because they stood to make more money by keeping their secrets then they were losing due to fines, and also stood to lose a lot more money if they complied than simply paying the fines. MS chose this route, and now it's time they paid the piper. The EU is not to blame here, and they aren't attacking anyone.

California fined Microsoft for 1.1B$ in 2004 or 2005 (can't remember) and Microsoft was supposed to be dismantled (US judgement) but the department of justice kinda gave up after September 11th 2001. Microsoft is breaking the laws in United States as well. It's just the US department of Justice doesn't feel like forcing major corporations to respect the laws.