Chapter 332 Monopoly and Antitrust
There are only individuals who betray the class, there is no class who betrays the interests.
When the Federation conducted an operating system antitrust investigation against Microsoft, both the Federation and Microsoft felt aggrieved.
Because Microsoft does not want to be split by the Federation, and the Federation does not want to split Microsoft.
Why?
Isn't it because of the existence of Microsoft, which is in the interests of the Federation!
As a capitalist country, the federation does represent the interests of the bourgeoisie, but they will not obey the orders of the big bourgeoisie who own a large number of production tools, because apart from a few individuals, there are a large number of small and medium-sized bourgeoisie in the whole country. Class people, as well as countless civilians, when these people can provide votes, safeguarding their interests is safeguarding their own interests.
So, coordinating the interests of all parties and playing with the way of balance is the key for some people to sit firmly on their buttocks.
After the Civil War, the Commonwealth entered a period of rapid capitalist development. In less than a hundred years, the total industrial output value continued to soar from 6% of the world, surpassing France, Germany, and Britain successively, and soaring to the world's No. 1 one.
But at the same time of rapid economic growth, monopoly also followed. When the 18th Grand Commander was in power, the monopoly consortium made other big, middle and small bourgeoisie miserable, and the common people became victims of high premiums.
The most typical is the Rockefeller consortium, Standard Oil monopolizes 25% of the federal crude oil production.
If it’s just these, then forget it, the most important thing is that 90% of the federation’s oil transportation capacity and 95% of its oil refining capacity are also within their control, so the absolute pricing power has become their toys.
Then, the "Antitrust Act" was born, and the Seven Sisters of Oil were born.
This move was a representative of the advanced at the time, or, even now, it is a classic case of the free market, because Standard Oil has monopolized the entire market, making the entire industry dead, and making the public feel unfair. After the division, effective competition can inject vitality into economic development.
As a result, the federation, which has tasted the sweetness, stepped up its efforts to take out various monopoly consortiums.
In 2045, American Aluminum was forcibly split up because it monopolized the aluminum market.
In 1984, the telephone and telegraph were forcibly dismembered because they monopolized the telecommunications industry.
When the federation stabbed the big capital to death with a knife, the high-speed economy made them smile!
Because their interest is to lead the federation to continue to develop!
Since killing the monopoly can make the Federation develop better, it means that anti-monopoly is correct!
But just when the Federation wants to continue playing with this method to stimulate the country's economy to develop faster...
A series of major events that could change the pattern appeared.
The bear has disintegrated! The global economy is integrated!
The Internet has arrived! The virtual economy was born!
When the Federation was fighting with Mao Xiong before, the world economy was still the real economy, whether it was oil or the aluminum industry, those were all things that could be seen and touched, and the technical content of producing these things was very low, even if the Those monopoly giants have been dismantled, and those new companies can still earn a lot of foreign exchange for the country.
But when capital flows were liberalized, the Single European Act came into effect, the North American Free Trade Area was born, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation was established, and the ASEAN Free Trade Area began to be built, the situation changed.
Because whether it is a big capitalist or a small capitalist, they all see infinite possibilities from the vast global market!
As global hegemons, they have huge funds and leading technologies. Under such circumstances, it is not too simple to knock on the doors of those backward countries. The point is that the advanced technologies that many backward countries think are only eliminated by them. Lost backward productivity, in this way, first earn a wave of foreign exchange with backward technology, and then emphasize upgrading to backward countries and let them replace equipment, so that capital can make more money!
Not only that, they are not afraid of being surpassed if they are obsessed with technology!
With this thought in mind, countless capitals in the federation began to invest abroad.
But the problem is that as soon as they leave the country, they find that they can say to others that it's been a while!
Because of competitors, it is our own people who are special!
All the capitalists who fought their lives in the federation wanted to share a piece of the new cake!
So, the problem came.
These capitalists are competing at home, which stimulates their own economy, but competing abroad, who is stimulating?
Hawk sauce is confused.
But soon, the crazy investment of other countries in the Federation woke up Yingjiang!
Without the monopoly oligarchs, they will be defeated!
The significance of the Anti-Monopoly Act is that we do not want a monopoly in a certain market, because it is not conducive to the development of the country and the economy, but what if the single market changes from a single country to the whole world?
Then only companies that complete their internal monopoly first will have the ability to **** the blood of the whole world!
Therefore, many people said that after Mao Xiong disintegrated, Ying Jiang became confused.
At the same time, these people believe that the reason why Ying Jiang was confused was that he suddenly became the number one in the world and lost his goal.
But in fact, this confusion does not mean that they have no enemies, but that they discovered that the world is full of enemies!
If Telegraph and Telegraph had not been split, Telegraph and Telegraph would be able to acquire telecommunications companies around the world in a frenzy when the trend of global economic integration was formally finalized after Mao Xiong disintegrated!
As long as you control 50% of the global market, no! Forty percent! Even thirty percent!
At that time, there will only be one voice in the world!
America Great!
Ah, no, at that time they no longer needed to shout this slogan.
But now?
European telecommunications giants are frantically merging, and their own telecommunications giants are half dead!
As a result, on June 28, 1994, the Federal Congress passed a bill that allowed local telephone companies and cable TV companies to enter each other's business areas. On the surface, it was to stimulate competition in telecommunications services, but after the bill was introduced, Not only that, they also asked Murdoch to move the company from Canada to the United States to continue to maintain his dominance in the media industry.
Immediately afterwards, on November 30, 1999, the merger of Exxon Corporation and Mobil Corporation was completed. On October 9, 2001, Chevron and Texaco announced their merger and later acquired Gulf Oil. .
On the surface, the re-merger of the Seven Petroleum Sisters is normal business competition, but isn’t the fundamental purpose of their merger to deal with the impact of companies from other countries under the economic globalization?
If these companies can’t even occupy the local market, as if they are scattered and have no fighting power, then when other capital invades, the entire domestic market will be owned by others?
And this kind of thing, how could Ying Jiang want to see it?
so-
“The Ministry of Justice’s antitrust investigation of Microsoft’s operating system is actually a joke.”
On the other end of the phone, Steve Jobs was there to express his opinion, "Unless the Department of Justice is occupied by spies from other countries, they can't tear down Microsoft, because once Microsoft is taken down, it means they give other countries The country gave more time, time to develop the operating system, time to catch up with us."
"The previous anti-monopoly splits were due to the singleness of the market. In a single market, monopoly is not conducive to economic development, but in the situation of globalization, only monopoly can maintain its own market position, because it destroys other countries. The best way for the industry is not a technical blockade, but a trade dumping!"
"Dumping products with corresponding technology!"
"Using dumping to occupy the markets of other countries and squeeze their market profits dry, their companies will not carry out independent research and development under unprofitable conditions, so that they can achieve disguised control of the single market !"
"And this kind of dumping can only be done by a monopoly company. Since Microsoft has been able to dump its own Windows system to the world, the Ministry of Justice will not let go of this issue unless it is crazy!"
"Because for them, continuing to manufacture companies that can monopolize the global market in other industries is the most important thing to do now. Keeping a close eye on Microsoft is a waste of time!"
"What's more, Microsoft accounts for more than 11% of the Nasdaq stock market."
“If you attack Microsoft, you attack the economy.”
While the three old men were discussing Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo, the godfather of Apple also called Roland.
When Roland learned that almost no one inside or outside the industry thought that Microsoft would be split up by the Ministry of Justice, the word "show off" came to mind, and when he knew that these guys also believed that industry monopoly was the only way out for the company in the future, he felt emotional It came to my mind even more.
Because he knew that these guys’ judgments were correct. In the context of economic globalization, only by achieving a domestic industry monopoly can they expand outward and **** the blood of all countries in the world. Therefore, the Qualcomm tax appeared.
And when those small capitals that were suppressed by Qualcomm joined forces to sue Qualcomm, the Department of Justice, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense took action at the same time, suppressing the federal court's antitrust judgment.
Why?
Isn’t it because Qualcomm can **** the blood of the whole world!
This is in the interest of the Federation!
In this way, no matter how happy the small capital is, it will only wait for death.
Because even if they are supported, they will not be able to absorb the blood of the world. If they cannot absorb the blood of the world, it is tantamount to giving up the market to others. Once they give up the market to others, isn’t it just waiting for their opponents to harvest their own property?
Federal GG and small capital GG, ghosts know how to choose!
Similarly, the merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas is the same.
In 1994, Airbus surpassed Boeing in orders for the first time, reaching 48% of the global market share, while Boeing only had 46%. Not even a fart!
Why?
Don't you hope that Boeing can swallow the global market!
Under such circumstances, they are still fighting among themselves!
So, monopoly and anti-monopoly have never been about justice, but about safeguarding higher interests.
However, even knowing that in the context of economic globalization, achieving industry monopoly is the best manifestation of a patriotic capitalist, but this does not mean that Roland can accept Microsoft's deception.
"So, you called at this time to tell me that Apple is going to give up the education machine market?"
"Let Microsoft quickly end the investigation of the antitrust case?"
"And let them swallow Yahoo smoothly?"
After listening to the narration by the Godfather of Apple, Roland felt a little...
Well, he didn't know how to describe his mood either.
When I invested in Yahoo, I just wanted to make some money;
Going to Microsoft later, just want to cash out better;
Then invest in Apple, just want to give yourself the confidence to wave;
Then reached a game development agreement with Microsoft, just hoping to tear down Sony;
Although his personal goals have been changing, Roland dared to swear that he never thought that his actions of pushing Microsoft to swallow Yahoo would actually bring a blow to Apple. This kind of unknown may be the butterfly effect after his intervention. It may be an unknown blind spot in his memory, but no matter what the situation is, such a change is a big headache for him, because...
There is no solution to the problem currently placed in front of him.
No one can beat Microsoft in this era.
And the behavior of those guys turning their faces and ignoring others made him feel the cold blood of capital—
I need the property in your hands. If you sell it, then we will be friends and do business in an amicable manner;
But even a friend can’t interfere with my own interests. If infringing a friend’s interests can make me swallow the property sold by my friend, then I will do it desperately.
Because, I am capital.
Although Roland could understand Microsoft's behavior because he wanted to dismember Sony crazily, but when this kind of bullying by a monopoly giant happened to him, to be honest, he was still a little aggrieved.
While he was asking Steve Jobs about his thoughts, the answer on the other end of the phone made him shake his head helplessly—"Apple doesn't want to give up the education machine market, but Microsoft's settlement agreement does not require our consent."
Chi Guoguo's answer made Roland laugh, "Yes, we don't need our consent for this kind of thing."
Anti-monopoly investigations are basically decided directly by the Ministry of Commerce.
If they accept the settlement, they will tacitly allow Microsoft to continue to invade the education machine market.
In this case, any resistance is futile, because the above will not listen to your voice.
In this way, passive acceptance is the only option, and this result made Roland very grateful that he voted for Google.
After all, things like anti-Microsoft still have to be done by professionals.
But when Roland was about to hang up the phone and wanted to experience Sony's desperation when he learned that he had to cast "Black Hawk Down", the thought that flashed through him suddenly made him smell abnormal, "Wait... since the operating system reacted The monopoly investigation is a matter between Microsoft and the Department of Commerce, so how do you know what kind of settlement agreement they are going to submit?"
That's right, this is what Roland is most confused about!
How did Steve Jobs know about the terms of the settlement that Microsoft had figured out when there was no official announcement and Microsoft did not express its willingness to settle with the Department of Justice?
Aren't you two rivals?
Roland almost asked directly, 'Did you plant a spy in their company? '
After hearing Roland's question, the godfather of Apple on the other end of the phone was also taken aback.
After a while, he said directly: "William told me this directly."
This answer made Roland even more confused, "No... why did he tell you this?"
"Isn't this a secret?"
Such a surprised performance made the other party react, "For others, the settlement agreement drawn up by Microsoft is a secret, but for us, isn't this a mutually negotiated term?"
"William told us that they are going to escape the anti-monopoly investigation in the name of subsidizing public schools, which is implying that we can make a price quickly! What price do they need to pay in exchange for our slack!"
What?
Roland was completely dumbfounded!
Shouldn't this be a direct grab? Why is there such a way of reconciling in private first!
When Roland was speechless for a long time, Steve Jobs, who felt that the child might not understand, continued: "When I returned to Apple, William invested a sum of money in Apple through Microsoft."
"At that time, the agreement we reached was that Microsoft injected capital to save the company, and Apple gave up the lawsuit against Microsoft for copyright infringement and built Internet Explorer into every Macintosh in the future. At the same time, in order to help us sell the machine, Microsoft also provided Office for Macintosh Series support, and a technical department dedicated to our system."
"Although this is continuing to consolidate their market position, for Apple, their technical support and capital injection are indeed fighting the fire, so don't look at the two of us arguing fiercely, but we can sit down and chat of…"
"Now, since they want to avoid investigation by providing politicians with achievements in the education market, we can actually cooperate, and I have already figured out the price based on the company's situation, that is, let Microsoft help us win all The digital copyright of the music company, the MP3 we mentioned to you before, we have already started to do it, and at the same time, we also need to launch a free digital media playback application. According to my plan, when users want to import music downloaded from the Internet into MP3 , the application must be played through digital media, and we sell music in it, which can save users a lot of trouble..."
"Because this is Apple's new profit growth point that we all see, so I think it is a very cost-effective business for Microsoft to occupy a part of the education machine market in exchange for them helping us monopolize the portable music device market!"
Boom!
Steve - Jobs' words are like thunder!
The one who chopped Roland was staring at him!
‘Is the market monopoly of iPod and iTunes made by Microsoft? '
‘This, this, this…’
Roland has nothing to fuck!
That's right!
The success of iPod and iTunes is actually not that much fantasy!
Numerous reports said that after negotiating with major music companies, Steve Jobs obtained the authorization of digital copyright at a very low price by virtue of his advanced ideas, but...
Can a company’s digital copyright be as low as 10 million packages?
Do not make jokes.
Universal Music, Warner Music, Sony Music, Bertelsmann are not doing charity!
The so-called because there are too many online piracy, so these music giants feel that they are willing to spend money to buy genuine Apple is a fool, so they will sell digital music distribution rights at a low price, this kind of rhetoric is bullshit!
Because when Apple went to buy the copyright, these companies had already overwhelmed Napster!
When the court ruled that it was illegal for Napster to provide users with free music services, the era of spending money to buy songs on the Internet has arrived. In this case, the giants who have already eaten the early profits have lost their minds and sold them at a low price. authorized!
The real cheap sale is because of Microsoft's siege!
When Steve Jobs was discussing cooperation with various music companies, Microsoft, which also smelled something wrong, was also preparing to invade the online music field and moved out of WindowsMediaPlayer7.
But just when the major music giants sat firmly on the Diaoyutai and listened to the quotations from both sides in turn, the rich and powerful Microsoft suddenly ran away after two rounds of quotations, because they were carrying out the anti-monopoly investigation and said that the Ministry of Justice added WindowsMediaPlayer to the investigation list Among them, asking them to strip it from Windows.
If WindowsMediaPlayer is stripped, then buying copyright will be meaningless.
Such a situation made the major music giants bewildered, and while they secretly scolded the Ministry of Justice for shit, they also set their sights on another bidder, Apple, hoping that Steve Jobs could follow the previous offer and make Copyright eats.
However, at this time, the leader of Qiao Gang also ran away.
The reason is that they have consulted the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. If they only sell iPods that support the MP3 format and do not provide users with music services, and if users add pirated copies to the player, then Apple is not breaking the law.
In this way, those who buy genuine music are idiots!
This explanation made the major music giants even more anxious, and when they saw that the cooked duck was about to fly, they had to sign a low-price licensing agreement with Apple for profit.
In this case, Sony, which wanted to promote its own format, was directly besieged by the giants.
Some people must be puzzled when they see this.
Why don't the giants do it themselves?
This is actually very simple.
One is that these giants are really unable to fight all piracy, and the other is that Steve Jobs said that after selling all the copyrights to Apple, the music produced in the non-iTunes market is pirated.
Not only that, Microsoft also said in due course that if iTunes' market share is not high, they can also cooperate with Apple to allow WindowsMediaPlayer to import songs to iPod.
With the technical endorsement of Microsoft, can the music giant refuse to agree?
Wouldn't it be nice to eat off the shelf without the technology to fight all piracy?
As a result, the two oboe singers swallowed up the entire music market.
iPod once occupied more than 70% of the music player market.
It is no exaggeration to say that the success of the iPod is definitely not the efforts of one or two people, and under the condition that Microsoft is willing to reconcile, Apple will give up some educational machine markets in exchange for a monopoly in the industry, isn’t it good?
Of course, this was the situation in Roland's previous life.
Now, with his intervention, when Yahoo is first thrown to Microsoft, and then the Apple invested in is about to be stabbed by Microsoft, even if the capital has no feelings, it will not make a fool of itself.
...
"So, now we are waiting for Roland to make an offer."
While Steve Jobs was communicating with Roland, the three people in Seattle were also exchanging views.
Steve Ballmer said: "As long as the price is not too high, we can accept it."
Bill Gates said: "There are too many industries related to computers and the Internet. We can't eat them all. As long as they are willing to give up part of the educational machine market and don't continue to litigate with us, then...he thinks We can help him in whatever industry he enters, after all, if we take Apple’s market without communication, our business will not be easy in the future.”
"Roland has cooperated in this way, and we have snatched his property. After that, when other companies cooperate with us, they will definitely be careful to guard against us. We can also close the door when there are all enemies around."
"Oh... I thought you guys would really do things so badly!" Hearing these words, Paul Allen breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course, he didn't think there was anything wrong with doing it, but that it would deal a serious blow to Microsoft's image.
Although these things may not be made public in the end, but…
Those who can know are the ones who have the strength to cooperate with them!
"Then what do you think Roland will want?" Paul Allen asked with a smile, "In addition to Apple, his industries include Blizzard related to games, World of Warcraft related to film and television, Interstellar related to music, and personal brand…"
"And these, we don't understand."
"So... this deal is actually very difficult!"
"It's hard to do but you have to do it." Bill Gates smiled and shook his head.
Steve Ballmer said: "We are not afraid of him asking, but we are afraid that he does not ask."
"If he says now that he wants to buy Universal Music, we can help him do it."
"He can get more than 10 billion, and we just need to help him divest the Seagram Wine Industry."
"But... I guess he won't want Universal Music."
"Because the company is too shabby, with a lot of bad debts!"
Such words made the three of them laugh out loud. At the same time, Roland, who had turned his mind around, was delighted—
'Hold the grass! Since Microsoft's evasion of the anti-monopoly act's reconciliation regulations is the root of Apple's development, then for me, there is no loss! '
‘Then let me make a condition? '
‘Isn’t this equivalent to giving for nothing! '
‘Then what conditions can I raise? '
‘Let Microsoft and Google sign a cooperation agreement. In the next few years, Microsoft must use Google’s search business? '
‘No no no no no! Google is not my sole proprietorship! '
' Let Microsoft and Blizzard sign a cooperation agreement. In the next few years, Blizzard games will be released on the XBox platform, and they will not take a cut? '
‘No no no no no! Purely making money would be a waste of the opportunity to raise conditions! '
'calm! calm! This is Microsoft's favor! I'm not asking for debt! '
‘If it is used well, it can change the pattern of an industry! '
‘Uh… wait! '
‘Change the pattern of an industry? '
'Hold the grass! I know what I want! '
‘ATi and NVIDIA, I can eat both now! '
Note: Microsoft’s tone has only become worse in recent years. In a poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal in December 1999, Microsoft was the favorite company of Americans, and 90% of people believed that it should be investigated for anti-monopoly It's just **** in the head. At that time, some people believed that Microsoft was only responsible for the blame. What the U.S. government wanted to do was to create a few more monopoly giants to **** the blood of the world under the circumstances of economic globalization. It caused strong dissatisfaction in the European Union, so it took Microsoft, which had already achieved a monopoly, as a top package, and then secretly poked the crazy merger of oil giants and financial giants to reduce public attention. In fact, it is standing up and down again.
(end of this chapter)
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