The Microhoo Deal, Food Safety Bills and Free Trade with Korea
Analysts speculate about the future of the Microsoft’s rivalry with Google in the wake of a major new deal with Yahoo.
Food safety bills move through Congress.
Free trade negotiation between South Korea and the European Union move forward.
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1. TECHNOLOGY
Analysts speculate about the future of the Microsoft’s rivalry with Google in the wake of a major new deal with Yahoo.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews on concerns that antitrust officials might block with Google-Yahoo deal:
“Consumers have more to fear from government bureaucracies that have the power to stop progress cold than they do from free enterprise looking to create the next big thing. Should the Microsoft-Yahoo partnership not pan out, rivals, partners, consumers, investors, advertisers, and even global competitors are perfectly capable of dealing with any challenges to competition. Consumers stand to lose if Washington gets involved.”
2. HEALTH
Food safety bills move through Congress.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory Conko on letting the perfect be the enemy of the good:
“…it is not reasonably possible to eliminate every last bit of contamination from our food supply. Food is grown outside — in dirt. And dirt is … well, you know … dirty. There are a few things that we can do to make our food a little bit safer. But, unless we’re willing to have all our fruits and vegetables grown hydroponically in greenhouses, irradiate every last bit of our meat, permit no more unpasteurized dairy products, and pay the very hefty financial costs for doing so, we won’t really put much of dent in the presence of foodborne contamination. So, all of this hand-wringing about Congress needing to do something about food safety smacks of tilting at very expensive windmills.”
3. TRADE
Free trade negotiation between South Korea and the European Union move forward.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Adjunct Fellow Fran Smith on how the U.S. needs to play catch up with its own Korean agreement:
“It looks like things may be moving – slowly – on the trade front. The U.S. Trade Representative has published a notice in the Federal Register asking for comments on the pending U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Comments are due September 15, 2009. And, of course, comments have to be compiled and evaluated. Then, the implementing legislation for Congress to consider has to be submitted. All this, of course, is happening in an environment of increased skepticism about trade, plus an overloaded Congressional agenda, with massive health care and energy bills, not to mention the restructuring of the financial system.”
