It's the monopolization of America.

[milestogo]

Link to tweet

[PSPS]

1. This is an important point

Back in the early 80's, when we had bad inflation, Reagan hadn't yet had the time to fully neuter the FTC and enforcement of anti-trust laws. So people still had a choice when they needed something. If a company decided to raise prices "because they can," there were plenty of competitors available to choose from. This kept "greedfflation" to a minimum.

Today, after 40 years of GOP obstruction and their systematic dismantling of federal regulations, we have massive consolidation/monopolization to the point where companies have a massive share of their chosen market. There is essentially no real competition so they are free to raise prices "because they can." People have no place else to go.

[Tommymac]

2. Robert Reich is once again Spot on. He is an American treasure. Hell he is Humanity's Treasure. nt

[SoCalDavidS]

3. THIS!!

[appalachiablue]

8. RR nails it again. Excellent advocate & communicator, The Best.

[SharonAnn]

18. Oligarchs run everything. No competition in the marketplace.

[Dirty Socialist]

4. Turn the table on the cons

I thought you Cons extolled the virtues of competition! I would think you would welcome it and do away with rhe monopolies!

[czarjak]

37. Winners picking and choosing who the losers are is how they like it.

[Joinfortmill]

5. Yup.

[NoMoreRepugs]

6. Corporatocracy is here to stay.

[multigraincracker]

7. In his book Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith

the father of modern Capitalism called for regulations of businesses to keep us safe from monopolies and their power over markets.

[BlueIdaho]

9. This is a huge issue

Made worse by a federal government uninterested in enforcing the monopoly busting regulations on the books. Both Democrats and Republicans have turned a blind eye creating monopolies in virtually every sector of the economy.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

11. Don't do anything about monopolies....

That’s why Kroger/Albertsons is already being challenged and why Random House/ Simon and Schustercgot shot down this week…

[FoxNewsSucks]

15. Corporations are immortal

They have time fight any challenge no matter how long it takes.

They'll get their way eventually. Look around at the media, and every other thing owned by the companies that own the media. That's just one example.

[BlueIdaho]

16. These are small potatoes.

Look deep enough and you see most sectors have dwindled down to three or four corporations. Grain suppliers, beer, the beef, pork, and chicken industries, along with plenty of other categories including animal feed, drug store suppliers, and hard good producers.

If I had to guess - the Albertsons'/Kroger merger will still go through with Safeway coming along for the ride as a subsidiary of Albertsons.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

21. Safeway is already owned by Albertsons

But I just provided two examples of government stepping in against monopolies THIS WEEK - so apparently they actually do something even if you don’t believe they do.

[BlueIdaho]

27. I mentioned Safeways...

As I live in a town that has one Safeways, one Albertsons, and one Fred Meyer. I still say the Kroger/Albertsons merger will still go through after enough palms are greased. But that’s still small potatoes compared to the conglomerates that own most sectors of the economy. And no, neither political party is doing nearly enough to diversify our economy. Certainly not at the macro level.

[paleotn]

14. Bingo. We're just as guilty.

In my mind, it's payoffs to campaign donors. When the poultry industry donates huge bucks directly and thru dark money PACs, who's going to cross them?

[BlueIdaho]

22. So true!

And we learned during covid just how few meat packers there really are in America. Reminds me of that old saying about the golden rule - “Them’s that’s got the gold make the rules.”

[tavernier]

10. I first heard about the dangers of monopolization when I was in fifth grade

I’m 76.
Nothing new here.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

24. That acorn you saw as a kid now has roots that are tearing down your house.

[paleotn]

12. Antitrust cases in America the last 30 years have been "window dressing" and nothing more.

Lack of will? Lack of courage? Lack of resources? Probably all of the above. And people talk about the potential politicization of Justice. In my mind, antitrust has been politicized for decades leading inevitably to oligopolies and price fixing in all significant industries.

[FoxNewsSucks]

13. That's exactly the problem.

Don't like the price hikes at Olive Garden? They don't give a shit if you go across the street, the same capital fund group owns that On The Border or whatever other chain is there too.

Don't like the lousy customer service and high prices at Kroger-owned stores? Nowhere else to go but Walmart which is equally shitty.

Room rate too high at that Holiday Inn? Too bad, nearly all corporate chain hotels with various names are owned by a small number of owning entities. You might think you are sticking it to them by going next door to save $3, but they don't care as they own that hotel too and its prices are also too high.

Every single industry has been taken over by a handful of owners, and in some cases actual monopoly.

They generally operate acquired groups under the previous name. Many intersections have three "different" gas stations, yet there is no real choice because they are all owned by the same company.

[Stuart G]

17. You know I don't like going to "Walmart.", but their prices are low.

The lowest that you will pay on any national products. Not generally a "nice place."

But prices are low, and some stuff is the "lowest."

People work there, get paid and some (a few, get paid well.)

Yes....honesty is the best policy:

I bought stock in Walmart many years ago.

[SharonAnn]

19. Try Aldi's. Great quality and better proces.

[ancianita]

20. Monopoly is the stage of advanced capitalism.

Governments are captured, corporate interests and PR dominate media, Internet platforms are privatized, most Internet dot com sites are run on proprietary code.

Advanced capitalism monopoly is when CEO's, Big Corps and oligarchs now out themselves and don't care who knows that they now run things. It's when they can make sure the country is run like a business that doesn't need that pesky election stuff anymore.

[Bo Zarts]

23. American Airlines, for example ..

American =
US Airways
American West
TWA
USAir
Piedmont
PSA
Empire
Mohawk
+ numerous other small airlines.

Delta = same sad story of unfettered consolidation

United = same sorry story

[TeamProg]

25. Universal Healthcare would go a long way to reverse this by allowing the

entrepreneurial spirit, ideas, creativity to flourish outside of being wage-slaves for health coverage from a huge corporation.

This is why the GQP DOES NOT WANT Universal Healthcare.

The GQP wants everyone trapped at go nowwhere jobs.

[bringthePaine]

26. and there's the underlying bullshit of unregulated capitalism - greed abrogates trust

[NullTuples]

28. Maybe the core problem is campaign finance deregulation over many decades.

But let's face it - we have no way to change it as they've gamed the system completely. It would take massive amounts of funding to create an effort as large and long-scale as the Republicans have used over the last four decades. And guess who has all the money for said funding?

Capitalism (+ organized profitable religion, but let's keep it simple) and democracy have always been opposing forces, and I fear that much like climate chaos, we've already crossed the tipping point.

[republianmushroom]

29. I like this posting

[milestogo]

31. I wish the people who are voting for Republicans because of inflation understood this.

Inflation is not controlled by Joe Biden or Democrats. Its a systemic problem created by our weak laws and greed driven Republicans.

[dalton99a]

30. Kick

[ChazInAz]

32. We broke up Ma Bell.

We can do it again.

[milestogo]

33. Big food corporations have market share dominance.

The Guardian and Food and Water Watch investigation into 61 popular grocery items reveals that the top companies control an average of 64% of sales.

We found that for 85% of the groceries analysed, four firms or fewer controlled more than 40% of market share. It’s widely agreed that consumers, farmers, small food companies and the planet lose out if the top four firms control 40% or more of total sales. Our investigation is based on the analysis of market share data from thousands of supermarkets across the US.

“It’s a system designed to funnel money into the hands of corporate shareholders and executives while exploiting farmers and workers and deceiving consumers about choice, abundance and efficiency,” said Amanda Starbuck, policy analyst at Food & Water Watch.

The consolidation runs deep: four firms or fewer controlled at least 50% of the market for 79% of the groceries. For almost a third of shopping items, the top firms controlled at least 75% of the market share.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/jul/14/food-monopoly-meals-profits-data-investigation

[NJCher]

34. Two points

First, not one person on this thread has mentioned Amy Klobuchar who has been bringing this subject to our attentions for years.

What? This is the Democratic Underground. How can anyone fail to salute her prescience and concern? She even has a book on it:



Second: I will immodestly say that I am a shopping wizard and I competitive shop for everything. I just did another shopping marathon with price comparisons late last week. Previously I have done them and posted the results, which show that if you want to get a good price, you can. I am still buying at 2019-2020 prices. How do I know? Because I keep a spreadsheet recording how much I pay for items.

Now maybe you don't like spending your time like this. I do it late at night while watching television. But you can still beat prices, despite all the protestations otherwise that I see upthread.

Most recent items I purchased:

one year supply of laser cartridges
featherbed
duvet cover
various teas and coffees
hanging planters (ended up getting these free)
plant hanging pulleys
stainless steel funnel

[LisaM]

42. People who live in smaller spaces and depend on transit

don't have the ability to buy in bulk. I had a friend -well meaning - quote an article about people buying a side of beef to save money and all I could think about was hauling a side of beef home on the bus and figuring out what to do with it in my small apartment!

[NJCher]

46. a year's supply of cartridges

for me is 2. One goes in the printer, the other on top of a bookshelf. Takes up about 3 x 12".

Nothing I purchased required a car; it was all online shopping.

Just an FYI.

I consider it a game. My favorite quote from my dad was "anybody can throw money at a problem," meaning creativity and resourcefulness goes a long way.

[Irish_Dem]

35. We are back to the time of Robber Barons.

Rolling back all the hard won gains of the 20th century.

[flying_wahini]

36. Whenever I drive across Texas or even British Columbia,Canada it's the same

Apartment designs, the same clothing stores, the same chains everywhere,

Home Depot, Best Buy, Marshalls. On and on, et Al forever.
It’s Soylent green, baby.

[moondust]

38. Will they ever stop?

What's the incentive for them to stop gouging? Competition? Ha! Took them a while but they got rid of that.

Greed addiction may kill more than heroin and fentanyl addiction.

[BigOleDummy]

39. I've been railing

I've been railing and shouting THIS for a long time now. RR is spot on.

[MLAA]

40. This is fact.

I worked for IBM starting early 80s and there was great sensitivity to violating this prior anti trust suit. My dad worked for AT&T which was broken up. I think the last company facing anti trust was Microsoft but don’t remember how that ended up.



What is IBM antitrust case?
The DOJ sued under the Sherman Antitrust Act, claiming IBM tried to monopolize the market for “general-purpose digital computers.” The case lasted almost thirteen years, ending on January 8, 1982 when Assistant Attorney General William Baxter declared the case to be “without merit” and dropped the charges.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

41. Which industries are Reich claiming as being controlled by monopolies?

[rubbersole]

43. Which aren't?

Gas stations all raise their prices at the same time to the same amount. Hedge funds are out of businesses to monopolize so now it's on to residential properties. They will fubar it in no time.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

45. I guess it is useless to ask again, which industries are monopolies according to Reich?

[milestogo]

47. It doesn't say in the tweet.

But if you do a little research, maybe you can find out.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

48. Haven't found any.

[live love laugh]

44. Snack today chips and Pepsi: $4.77. Each over $2.

Admittedly not a healthy choice … but beyond that it’s so bad that they STILL reduce the amount of chips in the 2.19 regular chip bag. And a single bottle of soda is more than $2.

Ridiculous.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

49. Fairly sure Pepsi don't have a monopoly on unhealthful soda drinks.

[milestogo]

50. Pepsico is enormous.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

51. Yes, but enormous and monopolistic are not the same things in economic terms.

[Xolodno]

52. Corporations have spent a century in finding ways to circumvent anti-trust laws.

The US government hasn't really kept up.

The homeless in the major cities are just another form of "Hoovervilles". We just don't recognize as it...yet.