Call to Patriotism

If fighting terrorism requires a stimulated economy, no move could be more welcome than the dismantling of Pac Bell

A A A Comments By Matt Smith Wednesday, Nov 7 2001

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This week SBC is expected to complete its purchase of a controlling interest in the U.S. Internet portal Prodigy Communications Corp. Prodigy is an also-ran Internet player, making this an odd-seeming investment -- until you note that, if it continues on its current course, SBC and subsidiaries, including Pac Bell, will control a significant portion of U.S. consumers' ability to access the Internet. It's conceivable that SBC will direct customers to its own interface, in the way AOL-Time Warner does. This way, SBC/Pac Bell will control the pipe that connects customers to an Internet service provider; SBC/Pac Bell will be the Internet service provider, and SBC/Pac Bell will also control the content provided. If one believes the Internet will someday become one of our major sources of education and information, it's hard to help fearing SBC/Pac Bell is on a road toward having a powerful influence on how we see the world.

For SBC, this would represent a form of poetic closure. SBC bought its controlling interest in Prodigy from a Mexican holding company controlled by an old business partner: Carlos Slim Helú, leader of the consortium that privatized Telmex.

Fred Harper

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Apparently, one doesn't have to be a patriot to remain loyal to a friend.

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