The Real threat to the two party system & most of us.

[crowonapost]

we are closer to oligopoly than at any point in 100 years (http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/23/14052804/oligopoly-tim-wu)



Today we don’t so much have single companies dominating an entire industry as much as a handful of extremely powerful ones. Over the past few decades, the number of markets consolidated by a few mega-companies has skyrocketed, according to Columbia law professor Tim Wu....

Wu points to the beer industry as a perfect example. “People may not realize this, but domestically, there are two companies that sell 75 percent (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-merger-that-could-reformulate-the-beer-business/) of the beer in the United States — Molson Coors and Anheuser Busch, both owned by foreign companies,” he says. “That is an industry that used to have five or six actors and now has two.”


This is a marker of the real enemy to most of us.

[donttread]

we are closer to oligopoly than at any point in 100 years (http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/23/14052804/oligopoly-tim-wu)




This is a marker of the real enemy to most of us.

For freedom to live the megacorps must die.

[Crepitus]

For freedom to live the megacorps must die.

And their uber wealthy patrons should go down with their ships.

[Dustup]

we are closer to oligopoly than at any point in 100 years (http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/23/14052804/oligopoly-tim-wu)




This is a marker of the real enemy to most of us.
Right....for most of you progressives......but you still buy their products dontchya :grin:
emphasis mine.......

[Chris]

For freedom to live the megacorps must die.



And how exactly did they gain this power?

[resister]

And how exactly did they gain this power?
Government enablers

[Chris]

Read the link and it sounds to me like just the same old complain about imaginary and potential monopolies.

It claims things are worse but offers no comparison with any other age. Should we compare with the mercantilist joint stock companies that Adam Smith criticised? Those were possible only because the government at the time supported them. Same now with crony capitalism. The government is a target for rent seeking, and the bigger it gets the more there will be rent seeking.

[Captain Obvious]

we are closer to oligopoly than at any point in 100 years (http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/23/14052804/oligopoly-tim-wu)




This is a marker of the real enemy to most of us.

I've been saying this for years, you people should pay more attention.

I've described our healthcare system as being Walmartized. Huge and few mega-healthcare systems that just churn procedures and care out.

[crowonapost]

For freedom to live the megacorps must die.

Huh, that's all you can bring yourself to say. Insightful.

[hanger4]

we are closer to oligopoly than at any point in 100 years (http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/23/14052804/oligopoly-tim-wu)




This is a marker of the real enemy to most of us.

As far as the beer industry is concerned there are brewpubs and mini breweries popping up on dang near every cornor and two in the middle. So no to your OP's charge of domination.

[crowonapost]

Right....for most of you progressives......but you still buy their products dontchya :grin:
emphasis mine.......

For most of US People regardless of political affiliation we buy this stuff. Your point has no relevance since I've not given an opinion about buying products.
I'm sure it's some smarmy little bahaha lefty gotcha' statement but you just look like you fell flat on your face & are of course blaming the radical left for not tying your shoe but whatever.

[crowonapost]

Read the link and it sounds to me like just the same old complain about imaginary and potential monopolies.

It claims things are worse but offers no comparison with any other age. Should we compare with the mercantilist joint stock companies that Adam Smith criticised? Those were possible only because the government at the time supported them. Same now with crony capitalism. The government is a target for rent seeking, and the bigger it gets the more there will be rent seeking.

Yes YES we should! And they do make a comparison to the late 19th century. I like this direction. I have to go. Wife demands I do stuff, durnit but I like this.

[crowonapost]

As far as the beer industry is concerned there are brewpubs and mini breweries popping up on dang near every cornor and two in the middle. So no to your OP's charge of domination.

There are & I love them. Not sure how it will play out & using the beer example I agree is not that 'frothy' a problem but it was the authors example to start the discussion.

[Captain Obvious]

As far as the beer industry is concerned there are brewpubs and mini breweries popping up on dang near every cornor and two in the middle. So no to your OP's charge of domination.
"Big Beer" is doing it's share to block micros from expanding in the market by lobbying for bullshit rules against growlers and other tactics.

Kids have killed the "craft beer" industry anyway, it's all over-hopped piss.

[Cthulhu]

"Big Beer" is doing it's share to block micros from expanding in the market by lobbying for bull$#@! rules against growlers and other tactics.

Kids have killed the "craft beer" industry anyway, it's all over-hopped piss.
Same thing with tobacco growers. Get caught growing tobacco and you'll have a brand new and whistling colon when they are done with you.

Fear profits a man nothing.

[Scerab]

Indeed the mega corporations are in control of the world economies. And do you know who is steering that mega ship? None other then the banks. The very banks that the American stooge, A.K.A the American tax payer, bailed out. Yes indeed we bailed them out so they can enjoy the companionship of more hookers and buy bigger yachts. All while the American stooge has to work three jobs to pay rent and utilities.
And does any one complain?
Noooooo...
the American stooge is consumed by the disposable junk he/she/it wants to buy. A new phone to replace the 6 months to one year old phone, which is a mild improvement yet a huge expense...
maybe even buy a third tv because he/she/it wants to watch Fox News while he takes a crap...
the rothschilds and their ilk are the true demons... they caused the Great Depression just to demonstrate their power and influence. They don't care how many kids go hungry or homeless or even die...
you ask me where is America heading?
My answer is to hell, as long as we have the federal reserve...

[crowonapost]

I've been saying this for years, you people should pay more attention.

I've described our healthcare system as being Walmartized. Huge and few mega-healthcare systems that just churn procedures and care out.

And to go further with you. Why the 'F' do we need a middle man insurance company? I get the principle that private insurance can somehow 'magically' free market the shlits out of things but they don't.
SO since they give not a DAMNED thing. Why are we not doing like every modern first world nation & tamping down medical costs. Rhetorical question.

[crowonapost]

Indeed the mega corporations are in control of the world economies. And do you know who is steering that mega ship? None other then the banks. The very banks that the American stooge, A.K.A the American tax payer, bailed out. Yes indeed we bailed them out so they can enjoy the companionship of more hookers and buy bigger yachts. All while the American stooge has to work three jobs to pay rent and utilities.
And does any one complain?
Noooooo...
the American stooge is consumed by the disposable junk he/she/it wants to buy. A new phone to replace the 6 months to one year old phone, which is a mild improvement yet a huge expense...
maybe even buy a third tv because he/she/it wants to watch Fox News while he takes a crap...
the rothschilds and their ilk are the true demons... they caused the Great Depression just to demonstrate their power and influence. They don't care how many kids go hungry or homeless or even die...
you ask me where is America heading?
My answer is to hell, as long as we have the federal reserve...

Before I am willing to go all out on conspiracy, I do acknowledge that banks and the entire construct is the core of our challenge. I also agree and I think both sides agree we bailed banks to the detriment of our nation. They really put themselves before our national interest and Obama was more than willing to let them take the lead. The core of the issue for me is multinational consolidation. It cares nothing about nationalities or local communities, it cares only for an abstract profit at the heals of people and the planet. It is a blind profit mentality. Not an individual profit mentality and I think that's a central construct of discussion. I do not know how long it will take for us as humans to get it but the multinational banking/corporate mentality is destroying everything natural in human consciousness. It's not left or right it's hard working middle class vs. billionaire market manipulation.