And speaking of states that once pursued Microsoft, cash-strapped West Virginia did pretty well for itself by seeking stronger sanctions for so long. Had West Virginia agreed to the settlement Microsoft struck with the US government, the state would have collected legal fees and little else. But by holding out, West Virginia was able to extract from Microsoft $US21 million in software, computers, and cash and $US300,000 to cover legal costs, thanks to a private settlement the state agreed to last weekend. Not bad.
Except... Except... What kind of "settlement" allows a convicted monopolist like Microsoft to further entrench itself as the supplier of choice in the West Virginia school system? Say a gang ("because they can") holds me down and steals my wallet and the IDs and $100 in it (I wish!). I go before the judge, and get the gang convicted. And then my own government, as a "settlement," gives me back $10 of the $100 the gang stole -- and the gang gets to keep my wallet, so if I want to use my own IDs I have to go to the gang and beg! (And if you think this rhetoric is a little overheated, just read the licensing agreement for XP.)
So, impunity -- "Because they can." We're seeing a lot of it these days. This is not "Microsoft-bashing" (good, clean sport though that is); it's an endemic problem with the country as aWol and his gang want to run it.