Pluralistic: The one weird monopoly trick that gave us Walmart and Amazon and killed Main Street (14 Aug 2024)

Today's links

The one weird monopoly trick that gave us Walmart and Amazon and killed Main Street: The Robinson-Patman Act is how we make sure companies aren't too big to jail nor too big to care.
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The credit card fee victory is a defeat: Small cartels beat large industries every time.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

Conspiratorialism and the epistemological crisis: We may not know what's in the box, but we can tell if it's been damaged in transit.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

In defense of bureaucratic competence: The nine most uplifting words in the English language: "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."
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At long last, a meaningful step to protect Americans' privacy: The CFPB rejects the learned helplessness of generations of regulators.
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Monopolizing turds: The FDA granted a pharma company a literal monopoly on shit.
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How tech does regulatory capture: An extremely frank and open look inside the ugliest of sausage-factories.
Red Team Blues Chapter One, part two: How Danny Lazer came back from the brink.
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Dow promised to turn sneakers into playground surfaces, then dumped them in Indonesia: Corporate "recycling" programs are just obfuscated landfills.
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Turbotax is blitzing Congress for the right to tax YOU: Why do Americans have to pay Intuit to tell the IRS things it already knows?
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This day in history: 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018
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