Gee! Garry and Arthur both trumpeting the merits of free and fair trade!

Good try Guys but the simple fact is that Bill was smart enough to recognize the value of DOS and jumped on it whereas IBM didn’t. And as far as MSDOS well, there are BMW’s and there are Toyota’s but Toyota dosn’t put ‘BMW’ logos on their cars do they, so your China story dosn’t wash.

As far as the anti-Microsoft gang, well they got beat by a smarter businessman so instead of concentrating on producing products that are better than Bill’s they went the legal route instead. What did they accomplish? Bill gives more money away in a year than these pikers make.

Regards

Sauron

Kev

Yes, you are correct I read some of those reports but my point is that more recent reports suggest that much of the material wasn’t stollen after all which suggests that the reporting was poorly done. Perhaps based on the speculation of so called ‘experts’ outside of Iraq who couldn’t resist a TV interview
but who don’t know what happened.

Thats a good point about the hospitals but lets keep in mind who did the looting. I haven’t seen much follow up about this type of activity which suggests that it too, was overblow by the press. I would still like to know if people were actually tipped out of their beds by their neighbours. We were led to believe the Bagdad hospitals were overflowing with war wounded.

As far as protecting the oil industry, one can only imagine the howls if the US/UK had not taken steps to protect it has it is the main wealth of the county and is of particular concern to France , Germany and Russia among others.

It would appear that much of the vital infrastructure was indeed protected or at least the damage was minimal given that the country was invaded. Difficult to conduct an invasion without some damage.

Arthur

Is that the same Geneva convention that applies to the middle east treasure plundered by guys like Schliemann and others and then stolen by the Russians during WWII which has never been returned?

Regards

Sauron

Arthur

Good example of how capitialism works for the benefit of the’masses’. Now mind you not all that Bill sells was ‘Union Made’ I grant you.

🙂
Regards

Sauron

Yes, But up to now Bill has done pretty good for I guy who didn’t ask for a handout when he started Microsoft unlike most of the big corporations who are constanly whining for tax breaks and other forms of corporate welfare everytime they build new plant or start a new project.

Regards

Sauron

For those of you who like RN sea stories set in the time of Nelson I would suggest the Jack Aubrey/ Stephen Maturin series of novels by Patrick O’Brian. They number 22 and are best read in order.

O’Brian is on a par with C. S. Forester. They two main charactures are highly developed and are both flawed just enough to make them highly interesting.

Regards

Sauron

Garry

I seem to recall that France was part of the coalition. There is nothing ‘revisionist’ about that. The coalition decided to stop short in 1991.

Regards

Sauron

TTP

It’s interesting how much credit non-US coalition nations like to take for their military exploits and contributions in the 1991 Gulf war but it is equally interesting how they avoid the fact that they were all party to the decision not to overthrow Saddam which allowed him to take revenge on the Kurds and the Shia and for which the US is blamed totally. They are quick to share in the glory but as for the unintended consequences… blame the US.

I agree in general with comments about France but everyone also knows that the position it took over Iraq was simply a an attempt to thwart US influence and power and had nothing to do with concern for the UN, Iraq, internation order, etc.

Regards

Sauron