Today's links
- Podcasting "We Should Not Endure a King": Antitrust is a leftist cause.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Tag: antitrust
Pluralistic: 22 Feb 2022
Today's links
- Podcasting Part III of "The Internet Heist": In which the cartel gives itself a veto over your family life.
- China hamstrings its Big Tech: "National champions" are neither.
- This day in history: 2007, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
We Should Not Endure a King
Antitrust is a political cause, not an economic one
If we will not endure a King as a political power we should not endure a King over the production, transportation, and sale of the necessaries of life. If we would not submit to an emperor we should not submit to an autocrat of trade with power to prevent competition and to fix the price of any commodity. — Senator John Sherman, 1890, arguing for the passage of the Sherman Act
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect. — Frank Wilhoit, Crooked Timber
Whoever has the gold makes the rules. — Johnny Hart, The Wizard of Id.
People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. — Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.
Pluralistic: 10 Feb 2022
Today's links
- Welcome to the Palmerverse: Ada Palmer's Renaissance-informed science fictional futurism.
- SEC vs private equity ripoffs: Personnel really are policy.
- Neuromancer today: Eileen Gunn on the enduring significance and wonder of William Gibson.
- Gators and Amazon tag-team small sellers: Amazon's bad conduct is good for (a certain kind of) business.
- This day in history: 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 05 Feb 2022
Today's links
- How to design an anti-monopoly interop system: On the colossal bad faith of Subaru and Kia.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 04 Feb 2022
Today's links
- A covid vaccine for your airways: The promising science of nasal spray vaccines.
- Rail monopolies destroyed the American supply chain: Heads they win, tails we lose.
- This day in history: 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 02 Feb 2022
Today's links
- To fight inflation, fight monopolies: Cartels raise prices using supply chain and "generous" benefits as cover for price-gouging.
- How noncompetes shackle workers to dead-end jobs: "You can't work for anyone who competes with Amazon for the next 18 months."
- Agricultural right to repair law is a no-brainer: Farmer-tinkerer solidarity.
- This day in history: 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 31 Jan 2022
Today's links
- Grappling with Big Wrestling: Vince McMahon has a monopoly on violence.
- Podcasting about the copyleft trolls who tried to shake me down: Pixsy and the depravity of speculative invoicing.
- This day in history: 2002, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Pluralistic: 21 Nov 2021
Today's links
- Private ambulances want a ban on firefighters rescuing babies: American Medical Response says Prescott Valley's firefighters shouldn't be allowed to operate an ambulance.
- Podcasting "Jam To-Day": How to free Big Tech's hostages on day one.
- This day in history: 2006, 2011, 2016, 2020
- Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading
Jam To-Day
Liberating Big Tech’s hostages on day one
“The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday — but never jam to-day.”
-The Red Queen, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There (Lewis Carroll)
The new, surging antitrust movement has given hope to many who yearn to throw off the yoke of Big Tech. After all, the tech giants’ dominance was attained through solidly illegal conduct, such as anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions, predatory pricing, and price-fixing. This produced conditions in which the companies were able to engage in more flagrant illegal conduct, including unambiguous, multi-billion-dollar acts of fraud.