BILL GATES, ROBBER BARON

by Joseph Sobran
Columnist, Universal Press Syndicate

Readers of Fatal Blindness are familiar with the statist tactic of accusing private individuals of acts which statists are, in fact, guilty of committing.  Such a tactic is a form of the Big Lie technique, i.e., making such an outrageous claim that many, if not most, among the gullible public believe the charge.

In the case of Microsoft, the literal robber barons are those statists politicians who are seeking to get their dirty hands around Microsoft.   These are the same statist politicians who are seeking to plunder the tobacco industry by extorting billions from them.  Bill Gates has robbed no one, he has forced no one to buy his products.  Statists are the ones with the guns, the ones seeking to use force against Microsoft, the ones who are seeking to forcibly deprive the owners of Microsoft the right to use and control their own property.

Statists are accusing Bill Gates and Microsoft of "predatory action."  Who is the real predator here?  These statist politicians who rule you through their initiation of force.  Microsoft has preyed on no one.  None of us will be safe as long as these dogs of statism continue to be permitted to ruin lives and fortunes, as long as these vultures have the power to forcibly prey upon innocent individuals whose only "sin" has been to be too successful.

Sobran's title is, of course, grim irony and he makes it unmistably clear who the real predators are in the Microsoft case.

Fulton Huxtable
June 14, 1998

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