Microsoft and Mergers
Should the company be broken up? Some feel that Microsoft's corporate strategy is subversive, often innovation is achieved by buying up the competition and/or re-engineering competitive products. Legal agreements are frequently "devious".
If Microsoft were allowed to swallow up the competition innovation would suffer and the consumer would be ill-served.
Remember that anti-trust laws were also introduced to keep the stock market honest. There should be new scrutiny of some of the anti-trust laws.
In Canada we have "regulated free enterprise"; in an oligarchy that becomes an oxymoron. By the same token, in regulated industries like aviation which have now been privatized it is more difficult to address issues of common or public concern (Y2K for example) because there is no central authority to develop standards or serve as a clearing house for information, new technology.
Bank mergers
The issue of the proposed bank mergers is always a controversial subject. Simply put, the Bank of Montreal doesn't have the funds to "grow" the Harris Bank. The issue is not the ability to compete world-wide, the issue is to compete in the U.S. Do see Mr. Paragon on our Banks
One guest suggested that if Bombardier/Canadair had not been allowed to merge, Canada would not be a world player in the aerospace industry. This was not considered to be a relevant example.
A letter to the editor this morning raised an interesting suggestion that the banks be allowed to form consortia for foreign lending, but that their domestic operations must remain independent of one another. We are also reminded of Carl Beigie's recommendation that the bank mergers be allowed only on condition that the foreign (Class B) banks be permitted to offer full service in Canada. In the meantime, banks continue to abuse the small client, forcing him/her to pay for and use unwanted services.
A quick change of subject to the Southern Baptists' declaration on family life - and the submission of women -. On this issue, everyone agreed with David's usual take that Church and State should always be separated! [the law should say 'thow shall not inflict your religion on any other including your youngen' DTN]
Research suggests that a sizeable segment of the population does not want to join a specific religion, but is attracted to self-help groups, seeking collective aspirations.
At a local level, the real estate outlook is better and better.
Bruce Burnett stated that his company is involved in two large deals to be announced within days.
Friday 12 June 1998
Insurance Exchange building sold
our city is on a roll,
high-tech, high-value tenants