The European Union..European Trustbusters???
Taxpayers encourage FTC to prevent European politics from dictating American business practices

WASHINGTON- Days ago, Deutshe Telekom announced that it wanted to do a "big deal" in the United States.  Not coincidentally, the European Union (EU) weighed in shortly thereafter on the proposed MCI-Worldcom merger with Sprint here in the United States.  If the EU's verdict kills the proposed merger, as the EU expects, Sprint would be ripe for a takeover, presumably by Deutshe Telekom.

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, issued the following statement on the EU's actions and its protectionist agenda, anti-competitiveness, and monopolistic history:

"America has achieved its dominance in the high tech marketplace by encouraging competition, trade, and innovation.  The EU has consistently turned it's back on all of these principals.  Now, the EU is now attempting to infiltrate American markets without changing their rules.  Bringing these anticompetitive, monopolistic attitudes to the American economy risks a return to the days of Ma Bell and one black telephone.

     "For the European Union to accuse American companies of not being competitive enough is a bitter irony given their monopolistic history and tendencies.  One can only assume that this must be a part of their larger protectionist agenda and a blatant effort to extend the European monopolies to foreign soil.

"Americans for Tax Reform encourages the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent European politics from dictating American business practices.  The EU's effort to assert their authority in an already contentious merger debate between American companies could further a dangerous trend that should be stopped immediately.  European bureaucrats have no place in America's high tech economy, and regardless of the ultimate outcome of this merger, the FTC must be vigilant and protect American businesses from foreign governments who would attempt to steal a piece of the American pie."