[Linux-aus] Secret MS Business Visits.....

[Brent Wallis]

Hi,

On 5/27/07, Senectus . <senectus at gmail.com> wrote:
> well I'm not one for conspiracy theory's, but I know for a fact that Steve
> Balmer was in Sydney on Friday...
> twas no "secret" though... he had a large Australia wide meeting with MS
> employee's.

Perhaps I have mis-represented the issue at hand:

-Not "secret"...but low profile.

-The press releases state this just as they did in the last election
(..still searching BTW...)

- A quiet meeting with the military to nut out support and
partnerships...well that's just fine and dandy...I would do the same
for that client.

The thing I am looking at is a foreign owned companies percieved
influence over our federal governement.

Around the same time before the last federal election...the same
pattern of meetings and similar press content as seen last week
occured only it was Bill Gates not Ballmer.

Soon after this visit last time, MS and the Prime Minister announced a
joint "philanthropic" venture.

To me, this implies that "behind" these announced "quick" meetings,
another task is carried out...maybe this:

- A foreign owned company sat down with the prime minister and asked
what they could do to bolster their parties community perception in
the next election OR the prime minister asked that company to assist
with their campaign via indirect means.

- A gesture on that foreign owned companies part is agreed on that
basically costs that company very little (last time it was free Office
software..still looking for the old articles)

- The outcome is that the foreign owned companies "brand" is percieved
to be supported by the government of the day.

IMHO a foreign owned company of MS standing should not make such deals
with governments of the day....especially around election times.
Whilst the practice may be accepted and openly executed, to me, they
border on a form of corruption and undue influence because of the lack
of full disclosure. An american style of politics that we could do
without....

Ballmers visit seems to follow the same pattern as last time...I am
openly curious as to whether the second part of the pattern will
repeat.....no more no less. These are subtle propaganda exercises oft
repeated in other business sectors....

Lets wait and see..:-)

Rgds
BW
PS: I do not wear tinfoil on my head;-)..at least not since '79...