patrick.net

Monopolies are only possible with government enforcement, otherwise someone will do it cheaper.

FortWayne says

Monopolistic evil bastards.

Ah, the irony of a man worshipping Ronald Reagan decrying Monopoly.

Who broke America's job machine?

Beginning in Reagan’s first term, antitrust enforcement all but ended. Throughout the 1980s, the opponents of antitrust sometimes buttressed their arguments by stoking fears about the supposed dangers posed to American manufacturers by their Japanese rivals. But for the most part such arguments proved unnecessary, as the government had already largely retired from the field, leaving corporations largely to their own devices. By the time Reagan left office, laissez faire had become conventional wisdom.
...
We will first have to break up the intellectual monopoly that has been forged over so much political economic policymaking in Washington today . The generation of political economists who understood the theory and practice of antitrust as devised by the late New Dealers are mostly retired or dead, and the academic economists who today dominate most discussions either have little understanding of the political nature of antimonopoly law or are openly hostile.

Paul Krugman doesn't see the problems with Hillary Clinton, which is sad.
However he is right that we are living in a second Gilded age.

The obvious next question is why competition has declined. The answer can be summed up in two words: Ronald Reagan. For Reagan didn’t just cut taxes and deregulate banks; his administration also turned sharply away from the longstanding U.S. tradition of reining in companies that become too dominant in their industries. A new doctrine, emphasizing the supposed efficiency gains from corporate consolidation, led to what those who have studied the issue often describe as the virtual end of antitrust enforcement.

Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican President dissolved 44 monopolistic corporations but cared to show he did not disagree with trusts and capitalism in principle, but was only against their corrupt, illegal practices. It is amazing that there were times when reasonable people on both left and right could clearly see the root causes of issues affecting ordinary citizens.

"Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican President dissolved 44 monopolistic corporations but cared to show he did not disagree with trusts and capitalism in principle, but was only against their corrupt, illegal practices. It is amazing that there were times when reasonable people on both left and right could clearly see the root causes of issues affecting ordinary citizens."

Funny Stuff, what blather

DieBankOfAmericaPhukkingDie says

f Monsanto can own photosynthesis and charge every living thing in the universe who eats plants royalty fees, they're entitled to it

Exactly. Hence I don't understand why FortWayne hates corporate freedom. ;)

uomo_senza_nome_0 says

Ah, the irony of a man worshipping Ronald Reagan decrying Monopoly.

The irony of a person who judges greatness of the past by low standards of today.

FortWayne says

The irony of a person who judges greatness of the past by low standards of today.

Why do you hate corporate freedom? It is exactly what President Reagan desired.

Another annoying thing Monsanto does is not allow farmers to make their own seeds.

http://www.monsanto.com/newsviews/pages/why-does-monsanto-sue-farmers-who-save-seeds.aspx

Why Does Monsanto Sue Farmers Who Save Seeds?
When farmers purchase a patented seed variety, they sign an agreement that they will not save and replant seeds produced from the seed they buy from us.

There is new technology that will make Monsanto obsolete:

Here Come the Unregulated GMOs
New plants like a mushroom altered with CRISPR gene editing are falling outside the purview of regulators.
by Antonio Regalado April 15, 2016
People are arguing about whether genetically modified foods should carry labels. But the next generation of GMOs might not only be unlabeled—they might be unregulated.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601285/here-come-the-unregulated-gmos/