<nettime> FW: U.S. a Monopoly, Breakup Decreed

["Bruce Sterling" <bruces@well.com>]

----------
From: futurefeedforward@futurefeedforward.com
To: <bruces@well.com>
Subject: U.S. a Monopoly, Breakup Decreed
Date: Sat, Mar 24, 2001, 09:34 PM


June 7, 2059

U.S. a Monopoly, Breakup Decreed

WASHINGTON DC--Federal District Judge Lydia Peezer today handed down her
much-anticipated Final Judgment in the landmark U.S. v. U.S. anti-trust
case.  As widely expected, Judge Peezer endorsed the Department of
Justice's complex divestiture plan, calling for the country to be divided
into three independent geographic regions, each consisting of four
autonomous "operational units."

 Speaking from the bench and citing the Findings of Fact she issued in the
case last November, Judge Peezer declared that the "[United States] Federal
Government has consistently abused its monopoly control of U.S. currency to
the detriment of consumers, both foreign and domestic."  The 132-page
Memorandum of Final Judgment cited in particular an earlier finding that
U.S. control of worldwide wealth amounted to "monopoly power through market
dominance," and that the U.S. had abused that power by eliminating capital
flows to competitive countries and industries.

 "The U.S. has a long history of politically motivated spending
internationally," explains Edgard Tree, Director of FRONT, an international
coalition of governments and non-governmental organizations.  "There are
better, more efficient governments and ideologies out there that get
stifled because of U. S. control of international capital.  New ideas can't
get any backing unless the U.S. approves, and nobody dares to break ranks
for fear of retaliation."

 Analysts identify two key turning points in the three-year-old case: the
emergence last year of a "smoking gun" report, and the evasive testimony of
Senate Majority Leader Freddie Prinze Jr.  The report in question, issued
by the U. S. NSA, identified "transnational 'gypsy,' nomadic, and 'open
source' social organizations" as the "most tangible present threat to U.S.
political hegemony" and called for associated U. S. agencies to "cut off
their air supply" by isolating the "vagrants" from world financial markets.

 The complex divestiture plan calls for division of the U. S. into three
new sponsored jurisdictions, the Microsoft Northwest, the GE Seaboard, and
Enron MiddleAmerica.  Governmental power in each region is further to be
segregated into four units, each with independent representational
structures and taxing powers.  The four "operational units" include a
Division of Labor and Correctional Services, an Inter-Non-Governmental
Regularization and Exchange Bureau, a Ministry of Consumers, and an
Intellectual Property Preservation Trust.  At the time of the decree, Judge
Peezer issued a stay halting divestiture pending appeals review of the
decision.

 Mainstream critics of the decision point to its impact on the "separation
of powers" written into the U. S. Constitution.  "What this decision seems
to say is that the courts have the power to rewrite the Constitution,"
exclaims DNC Chair Arthur Pile.  "This is judicial activism of the worst
sort."

 Others identify U. S. corporate interests behind the decision.  "The
'judicial activism' thing is a red herring," explains Julie Priest,
director of the U.N. Project on Corporate Sovereignty.  "It's really more a
question of executive pacifism.  Why is it that the President is permitting
the Justice Department to pursue a case like this?  Well, Microsoft has
been pushing this thing from the beginning, including unprecedented
spending during the last election cycle.  The break-up plan gives those
guys what they've always wanted:  their own country."

 U. S. citizens with questions concerning the divestiture should direct
them to the Transition Office at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington
DC.

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