I continue to shake my head every time I hear people complain constantly about "Washington" or "the government". Never a bad word from them about our monopolistic overlords, who pull all the strings (Sorry, but it ain't George Soros, and it sure as heck is more Murdock than anyone else.) The corporate cabal started funding Ronald Reagan, Inc. way back in the day and claimed victory in 1980. We've been used and abused by them for 43 years.
There is a name for what is causing monopolies. It’s called corporate rule. And there is a way to end corporate rule and the march towards Fascism. It’s HJR48, the We the People Amendment. It will overturn Citizens United and restore the power of We the People. It will take away the unjust massive power of corporate interests and restore good government. But it won’t happen all by itself. Click on this link: movetoamend.org
Robert Bork argued that corporate concentration was an economic good as it created efficiencies as long as it did not lead to rising consumer prices. His view has been effectively adopted by every administration since Nixon. Internationalization of sourcing kept prices down for decades as US manufacturing was hollowed out. Now the worm has turned. Outsourcing has reversed and prices are rising due to many factors but corporate concentration is perhaps the greatest. Now even Bork's followers will have to admit, if they are intellectually honest, that anti-trust enforcement must be undertaken with more speed and vigor.
Teddy Roosevelt came into the Presidency by accident of a bullet but he gained enormous popularity by taking on the robber barons and was accused of betraying his class. Who is our new Teddy? Biden certainly sees himself in that role today. Perhaps you might be surprised, but Elizabeth Warren is another. She said in answer to a question asked before she ever ran for office, who her favorite President was. She answered Roosevelt, Teddy not FDR. She is certainly a prime Trust Buster, but so is her student, Katie Porter. More and more of the Democrat base is recognizing corporate power as target. This reversal from the Clinton era, is return to the politics that held the party for most of the 20th century. It has the power to return the party to the majority.
E-V-E-R-Y dollar I spend is a vote for the type of world I want to live in. Buy local. I can buy soap, eggs, meat, veggies from local sources. Grow a garden. Yes, it takes effort but it is a lot more satisfying than howling at the moon and complaining about big corporations that are so big they don't have to listen and don't have to care about the junk they pour into people's body that make them sick. Plus, by taking this local route, I am healthier, I get outside, I get to know my community. There are so many positives to stepping away from big corps.
No surprise here. Follow the money. SBF showed how it is done. Give some to the Democrats. Give somewhat less to the Republicans. Republicans can be bought cheaply and are more reliable. But both parties can be bought. As for the "media", the same applies. Only here the owners dictate. And the owners do not dictate more competition and lower dividends. Do as you are instructed--or get fired. Voltaire was correct. Those whom you cannot criticize are the real rulers.
Wonderful reporting! It’s so good to have the facts. Stunning to remember back when monopoly power was a major issue. I had a temp job as an archivist when ATT was sued and eventually was broken up into the “the little Bells”. It must have been the last big anti trust case. Now it all goes on behind the scenes with rarely a reference. Your work and that of Tom Hartmann is crucial in understanding how we got to where we are now. It’s like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. A right wing enchantment that went on for decades that totally transformed our reality - the raw power of which working behind the scenes is worse than devastating.
I was just in Europe for two weeks and was really shocked to see that prices for most commodities (except for fuel of course) we close to 50% the price of in the US... many locally grown and produced... more sustainable, cheaper and supporting local business...We have lost that and are supporting highly polluting agri businesses that are charging more despite their scale, and ruinous practices...
Because the media are also a monopoly consisting of multiple brands creating the impression of competition. They all take advertising revenues from the same manufacturing monopolies. Tucker Carlson and Anderson Cooper feed off each other. No Anderson Cooper, lower revenues for Fox. No Tucker Carlson, lower revenues for CNN.
Inflation is a recognizable villain to blame for increasing costs; more so than the corporations and a handful of billionaires who are to blame. It impacts everyone but none more so than the minimum wage earner who must decide between gas for the car to get to work, and hot dogs for dinner tonight. The greater one's income the less impact inflation has on real life choices.
Our Nation needs several years of continued progressive leadership to offset the changes initiated under Reagan. We need another Teddy Roosevelt to fight monopolies, another FDR to to refocus our economy and another Joe Biden's political skills to make it all work.
Maybe we should think of inflation as a symptom and not a cause.
Because of the hegemony of supply-side economics. It wasn't enough that Reagan's voodoo economics changed how corporations worked, it also changed how many think about economics and any other dynamic that generally involves class. The owners of the means of production were and are cast as the heroes in an epic battle for human freedom. They have been granted the status of proxy for the 'common man' in the battle against any forces that seek to restrain freedom in any context. That makes the corporations and their major shareholders 'the good guys' by definition. In the context of inflation, both the Fed and corporations are under this illusion. The focus of both is to 1. use pricing to create an artificial 'crisis' and direct blame away from themselves, 2. use the 'crisis' as a means of profit-mongering, 3. undermine the rights of workers and demand more productivity without the need to invest more capital in production. At the same time, the rhetoric in Washington is swirling around a destabilization and/or eradication of the social safety net, which can increase the general anxiety of workers, especially those who live paycheck to paycheck and are one emergency away from poverty. It makes their future uncertain and they are less likely to rock the boat out of fear that the services they need will vanish and they will need any source of income to survive. Because the eradication of the social safety net is usually cast as privatization and because we have been taught to believe the market is all-powerful, we become more likely to vote against our own interests because we feel that we are voting for our freedom. In the warped calculus of the Right, 'the common good' is equated with 'socialism' which is defined as bad. I'm hoping this is changing because we could use some love focused on the common good right now.
Just as an aside, MARS (the candy company) has bought numerous veterinarian offices throughout the country and corporatized them. You may have heard of them as VCA or Banfield and numerous others (AniCura, Antech Diagnostics / Sound, Asia Veterinary Diagnostics, BluePearl, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group). So what have they done to ensure their profits? They created "Care Club" as their service model. Meaning you pay monthly regardless of whether you use their services, to ensure "discounts" on regular services, such as shots, pet dental cleaning, routine checkups, etc. Just an FYI, in case you use one of these vet businesses.
After decades of using one local, previously privately owned vet business (owned by the doctors), I've cut ties with them after they were bought out and became a VCA outfit. I stuck with them for several years, but found a different local, independent vet that I much prefer. I found my former vet office services declined significantly when they became corporate driven. Very frustrating, very sad.
They continue to provide excuses for corporations because they are getting paid by those very corporations that they are supposed to regulate and hold accountable either through legalized bribery or advertisers. They would never put the blame on the real problem. Recently Walmart announced that it is closing stores due to theft that's a lie they are doing that because it has been Doug Mcmillon's dream because of his obsession with Amazon it's an effort to turn Walmart into an online retailer which is a failing proposition because people go to Walmart to shop in the stores and are not going to leave Amazon for Walmart. We are fighting them on this and calling them out At United For Respect because it put so many people out of work all in the name of profits..
The media wants to have viewership and sell papers (i.e. “clicks”) so I hate to say it but, the sensationalism and ridicules articles we see anymore seem to be geared towards a more uneducated and less interested population.
In answer to the second part of your question, Professor, elected officials and lawmakers will blame ANYTHING other than themselves for essentially being subservient to the big corporations since it is those same companies that foot their campaigns. Sickening, but true.
Yes what a country we live in. I remember the AT&T so called breakup. I read about standard oil breakup. When antitrust enforcement was real ,it did not stop the consolidation of industry. Amazon is mutating into a formidable octopus with growing vertical integration. I’m afraid there is no way to turn back the clock. Industry lawyers will make millions and mostly win if antitrust laws are strengthened and enforced. As much as abhor big business there is just no way to stop them.
I continue to shake my head every time I hear people complain constantly about "Washington" or "the government". Never a bad word from them about our monopolistic overlords, who pull all the strings (Sorry, but it ain't George Soros, and it sure as heck is more Murdock than anyone else.) The corporate cabal started funding Ronald Reagan, Inc. way back in the day and claimed victory in 1980. We've been used and abused by them for 43 years.
There is a name for what is causing monopolies. It’s called corporate rule. And there is a way to end corporate rule and the march towards Fascism. It’s HJR48, the We the People Amendment. It will overturn Citizens United and restore the power of We the People. It will take away the unjust massive power of corporate interests and restore good government. But it won’t happen all by itself. Click on this link: movetoamend.org
Help us grow the Movement of the People ♥️
Robert Bork argued that corporate concentration was an economic good as it created efficiencies as long as it did not lead to rising consumer prices. His view has been effectively adopted by every administration since Nixon. Internationalization of sourcing kept prices down for decades as US manufacturing was hollowed out. Now the worm has turned. Outsourcing has reversed and prices are rising due to many factors but corporate concentration is perhaps the greatest. Now even Bork's followers will have to admit, if they are intellectually honest, that anti-trust enforcement must be undertaken with more speed and vigor.
Teddy Roosevelt came into the Presidency by accident of a bullet but he gained enormous popularity by taking on the robber barons and was accused of betraying his class. Who is our new Teddy? Biden certainly sees himself in that role today. Perhaps you might be surprised, but Elizabeth Warren is another. She said in answer to a question asked before she ever ran for office, who her favorite President was. She answered Roosevelt, Teddy not FDR. She is certainly a prime Trust Buster, but so is her student, Katie Porter. More and more of the Democrat base is recognizing corporate power as target. This reversal from the Clinton era, is return to the politics that held the party for most of the 20th century. It has the power to return the party to the majority.
E-V-E-R-Y dollar I spend is a vote for the type of world I want to live in. Buy local. I can buy soap, eggs, meat, veggies from local sources. Grow a garden. Yes, it takes effort but it is a lot more satisfying than howling at the moon and complaining about big corporations that are so big they don't have to listen and don't have to care about the junk they pour into people's body that make them sick. Plus, by taking this local route, I am healthier, I get outside, I get to know my community. There are so many positives to stepping away from big corps.
No surprise here. Follow the money. SBF showed how it is done. Give some to the Democrats. Give somewhat less to the Republicans. Republicans can be bought cheaply and are more reliable. But both parties can be bought. As for the "media", the same applies. Only here the owners dictate. And the owners do not dictate more competition and lower dividends. Do as you are instructed--or get fired. Voltaire was correct. Those whom you cannot criticize are the real rulers.
Wonderful reporting! It’s so good to have the facts. Stunning to remember back when monopoly power was a major issue. I had a temp job as an archivist when ATT was sued and eventually was broken up into the “the little Bells”. It must have been the last big anti trust case. Now it all goes on behind the scenes with rarely a reference. Your work and that of Tom Hartmann is crucial in understanding how we got to where we are now. It’s like the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. A right wing enchantment that went on for decades that totally transformed our reality - the raw power of which working behind the scenes is worse than devastating.
I was just in Europe for two weeks and was really shocked to see that prices for most commodities (except for fuel of course) we close to 50% the price of in the US... many locally grown and produced... more sustainable, cheaper and supporting local business...We have lost that and are supporting highly polluting agri businesses that are charging more despite their scale, and ruinous practices...
It's time for a windfall profits tax
Because the media are also a monopoly consisting of multiple brands creating the impression of competition. They all take advertising revenues from the same manufacturing monopolies. Tucker Carlson and Anderson Cooper feed off each other. No Anderson Cooper, lower revenues for Fox. No Tucker Carlson, lower revenues for CNN.
Because they can. The media is owned by the corporations through the power of advertising revenues.
Inflation is a recognizable villain to blame for increasing costs; more so than the corporations and a handful of billionaires who are to blame. It impacts everyone but none more so than the minimum wage earner who must decide between gas for the car to get to work, and hot dogs for dinner tonight. The greater one's income the less impact inflation has on real life choices.
Our Nation needs several years of continued progressive leadership to offset the changes initiated under Reagan. We need another Teddy Roosevelt to fight monopolies, another FDR to to refocus our economy and another Joe Biden's political skills to make it all work.
Maybe we should think of inflation as a symptom and not a cause.
Because of the hegemony of supply-side economics. It wasn't enough that Reagan's voodoo economics changed how corporations worked, it also changed how many think about economics and any other dynamic that generally involves class. The owners of the means of production were and are cast as the heroes in an epic battle for human freedom. They have been granted the status of proxy for the 'common man' in the battle against any forces that seek to restrain freedom in any context. That makes the corporations and their major shareholders 'the good guys' by definition. In the context of inflation, both the Fed and corporations are under this illusion. The focus of both is to 1. use pricing to create an artificial 'crisis' and direct blame away from themselves, 2. use the 'crisis' as a means of profit-mongering, 3. undermine the rights of workers and demand more productivity without the need to invest more capital in production. At the same time, the rhetoric in Washington is swirling around a destabilization and/or eradication of the social safety net, which can increase the general anxiety of workers, especially those who live paycheck to paycheck and are one emergency away from poverty. It makes their future uncertain and they are less likely to rock the boat out of fear that the services they need will vanish and they will need any source of income to survive. Because the eradication of the social safety net is usually cast as privatization and because we have been taught to believe the market is all-powerful, we become more likely to vote against our own interests because we feel that we are voting for our freedom. In the warped calculus of the Right, 'the common good' is equated with 'socialism' which is defined as bad. I'm hoping this is changing because we could use some love focused on the common good right now.
Just as an aside, MARS (the candy company) has bought numerous veterinarian offices throughout the country and corporatized them. You may have heard of them as VCA or Banfield and numerous others (AniCura, Antech Diagnostics / Sound, Asia Veterinary Diagnostics, BluePearl, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group). So what have they done to ensure their profits? They created "Care Club" as their service model. Meaning you pay monthly regardless of whether you use their services, to ensure "discounts" on regular services, such as shots, pet dental cleaning, routine checkups, etc. Just an FYI, in case you use one of these vet businesses.
After decades of using one local, previously privately owned vet business (owned by the doctors), I've cut ties with them after they were bought out and became a VCA outfit. I stuck with them for several years, but found a different local, independent vet that I much prefer. I found my former vet office services declined significantly when they became corporate driven. Very frustrating, very sad.
They continue to provide excuses for corporations because they are getting paid by those very corporations that they are supposed to regulate and hold accountable either through legalized bribery or advertisers. They would never put the blame on the real problem. Recently Walmart announced that it is closing stores due to theft that's a lie they are doing that because it has been Doug Mcmillon's dream because of his obsession with Amazon it's an effort to turn Walmart into an online retailer which is a failing proposition because people go to Walmart to shop in the stores and are not going to leave Amazon for Walmart. We are fighting them on this and calling them out At United For Respect because it put so many people out of work all in the name of profits..
The media wants to have viewership and sell papers (i.e. “clicks”) so I hate to say it but, the sensationalism and ridicules articles we see anymore seem to be geared towards a more uneducated and less interested population.
In answer to the second part of your question, Professor, elected officials and lawmakers will blame ANYTHING other than themselves for essentially being subservient to the big corporations since it is those same companies that foot their campaigns. Sickening, but true.
🌻
Yes what a country we live in. I remember the AT&T so called breakup. I read about standard oil breakup. When antitrust enforcement was real ,it did not stop the consolidation of industry. Amazon is mutating into a formidable octopus with growing vertical integration. I’m afraid there is no way to turn back the clock. Industry lawyers will make millions and mostly win if antitrust laws are strengthened and enforced. As much as abhor big business there is just no way to stop them.