nobody asked…

We don’t have a monopoly. We have market share. — Steve Ballmer

This laughable quote from Microsoft’s CEO leaves us wondering if he was serious, forgot to get his prescription refilled, or just cracking a bad joke. Given his widely publicized penchant for silliness and pranks, we will assume it was a failed attempt at humor.

In it’s discussion of monopolies, Wikipedia includes this:

Industries which are dominated by a single firm may allow the firm to act as a near-monopoly or “de facto monopoly”, a practice known in economics as monopolistic competition. Common historical examples arguably include corporations such as Microsoft and Standard Oil…
(Emphasis added.)

Does anyone remember Standard Oil and what the government did to them under the banner of monopolistic competition? That could not happen in today’s political climate of bigger is better (as long as I own some of it, of course). The comparison of Microsoft to Standard Oil or Alcoa or AT&T and others that the feds have busted up in the past is a valid one. Of course, that was back when at least some politicians cared about the country, the Constitution, and the people, not just about lining their own pockets and prepping for a high-paying consultant or savior position after their political life.