I'm not surprised that ol Kara & Scotty had some snark to bark; that's their jam. I listened to their pod for quite some time. The problem though is that they're really not all that bright. Yeah, yeah, ol Kara's got the plum job w/ NYT (or did they can her last year? IDK...I don't see Pivot on the pages anymore...BFD). Frankly, she's a lightweight; quick witted, sure, but as nuanced as a brick through a window. And I find her absolute contempt for people on the right odious.
And Scotty? Sheesh! I swear to God, he's a hypnotist or something! How this guy got on all the boards he got on is beyond me. His investment tips on Prof G would have bankrupted you (Go BIG on Peleton! LOL) On top of that, I think he's running his 3rd (maybe 2nd, but I think 3rd) brand spankin' new online biz concept into the ground. He's as cool a dresser Holmes was and as smooth as Madoff.
Nah...the wardrobe in these two emperors is see through.
Woulda been better if Tooze weighed in.
I appreciate your positive comments at the end, man. Because reading of all the chicanery that's going on in the economy does get disheartening, y'know? But you're right; things are changing.
I think one of the biggest blessings of the Information Age is the speed. What I mean is that word doesn't get around anymore; it zooms at the speed of light. So once the ship turns, it's gonna be hard for the shysters out there. Thanks for the pick-me-up at the end of a rough week.
Brother, the maker of printer et al no longer sells its toner and ink cartridges through Amazon. Instead, only small third-party retailers can the sell them through Amazon ... and Brother sells them directly through its website or through larger retailers.
For example, here in Canada:
- I just bought a $76 toner cartridge from a third party retailing through the Amazon marketplace;
- Brother sells NO ink and toner directly through Amazon;
- the identical cartridge can be bought from Staples here for $102 (buy or pick up at store, or free delivery because expensive enough); and
- Brother sells the same cartridge for $102 through its Canadian website ... BUT buyers get a coupon for 30% off their next purchase from the website (so say $71).
With everything findable through web searches, manufacturers and distributors are fighting back ... and Amazon's headed for trouble. :D
It will take awhile to reverse the damage but the monopolies have grown so big and ugly that they can’t be ignored anymore. People are paying attention.
The other question is what happens when the Republicans gain their, long sought after (with help from the Dems I should add) permanent majority (state houses as well as Washington) Will they roll back anti trust? How will their base ( now poor rural whites ) react to this. As Matt has pointed out things move in unstoppable waves, neo liberalism is maybe not dead but on the ropes.
What encourages me is the power of a few passionate individuals. YIMBY have slowly over time rolled back the worst of the NIMBYism keeping multiplexes out of cities. Slowly but surely
What happens now .. it seems to me that what happens depends on whether we the people decide to break up the monopoly that the political duopoly has on elections - because all the stuff you talk about depends on the honesty, or lack thereof, of the regulatory agencies and courts - who are appointed by the folks we elect to office, and the duopoly that controls that process will brook no competition from 3rd parties in that regard - they are kept off ballots, out of debates and deprived of funds - isn't that the essence of anti-competitive behavior that deprives the populace of choice? So where is the Agency that will investigate that ... there are some suits in the Courts, but as you point out, those judges are appointed by the very folks who are responsible for allowing this anti-competitive behavior by the Corps in the first place - who fund their campaigns - and don't reach juries. Even if they did, the jury is always "instructed" by the judge as to "what the law says" about the issue at hand - I don't know if you have ever been at trial - I have .... As the Doc says - if you have enough money, you can make the law ...
As for legal "precedent" - stare decisis - the SC had no trouble tossing that out the window, it is oft used as a cover or backup for deciding what the Court has often pretty much decided beforehand if it agrees with that leaning, but ignored if it doesn't ...
Regulatory capture has been known and talked about for some time - joined at the hip by political capture, with no recourse - except the polls. So until we the people decide to break up that 2 party monopoly at the polls - nothing, as our current Pres. has informed us, will fundamentally change ...
I'm not surprised that ol Kara & Scotty had some snark to bark; that's their jam. I listened to their pod for quite some time. The problem though is that they're really not all that bright. Yeah, yeah, ol Kara's got the plum job w/ NYT (or did they can her last year? IDK...I don't see Pivot on the pages anymore...BFD). Frankly, she's a lightweight; quick witted, sure, but as nuanced as a brick through a window. And I find her absolute contempt for people on the right odious.
And Scotty? Sheesh! I swear to God, he's a hypnotist or something! How this guy got on all the boards he got on is beyond me. His investment tips on Prof G would have bankrupted you (Go BIG on Peleton! LOL) On top of that, I think he's running his 3rd (maybe 2nd, but I think 3rd) brand spankin' new online biz concept into the ground. He's as cool a dresser Holmes was and as smooth as Madoff.
Nah...the wardrobe in these two emperors is see through.
Woulda been better if Tooze weighed in.
I appreciate your positive comments at the end, man. Because reading of all the chicanery that's going on in the economy does get disheartening, y'know? But you're right; things are changing.
I think one of the biggest blessings of the Information Age is the speed. What I mean is that word doesn't get around anymore; it zooms at the speed of light. So once the ship turns, it's gonna be hard for the shysters out there. Thanks for the pick-me-up at the end of a rough week.
A sign that manufacturers are fighting middlemen!
Brother, the maker of printer et al no longer sells its toner and ink cartridges through Amazon. Instead, only small third-party retailers can the sell them through Amazon ... and Brother sells them directly through its website or through larger retailers.
For example, here in Canada:
- I just bought a $76 toner cartridge from a third party retailing through the Amazon marketplace;
- Brother sells NO ink and toner directly through Amazon;
- the identical cartridge can be bought from Staples here for $102 (buy or pick up at store, or free delivery because expensive enough); and
- Brother sells the same cartridge for $102 through its Canadian website ... BUT buyers get a coupon for 30% off their next purchase from the website (so say $71).
With everything findable through web searches, manufacturers and distributors are fighting back ... and Amazon's headed for trouble. :D
It will take awhile to reverse the damage but the monopolies have grown so big and ugly that they can’t be ignored anymore. People are paying attention.
The other question is what happens when the Republicans gain their, long sought after (with help from the Dems I should add) permanent majority (state houses as well as Washington) Will they roll back anti trust? How will their base ( now poor rural whites ) react to this. As Matt has pointed out things move in unstoppable waves, neo liberalism is maybe not dead but on the ropes.
What encourages me is the power of a few passionate individuals. YIMBY have slowly over time rolled back the worst of the NIMBYism keeping multiplexes out of cities. Slowly but surely
What happens now .. it seems to me that what happens depends on whether we the people decide to break up the monopoly that the political duopoly has on elections - because all the stuff you talk about depends on the honesty, or lack thereof, of the regulatory agencies and courts - who are appointed by the folks we elect to office, and the duopoly that controls that process will brook no competition from 3rd parties in that regard - they are kept off ballots, out of debates and deprived of funds - isn't that the essence of anti-competitive behavior that deprives the populace of choice? So where is the Agency that will investigate that ... there are some suits in the Courts, but as you point out, those judges are appointed by the very folks who are responsible for allowing this anti-competitive behavior by the Corps in the first place - who fund their campaigns - and don't reach juries. Even if they did, the jury is always "instructed" by the judge as to "what the law says" about the issue at hand - I don't know if you have ever been at trial - I have .... As the Doc says - if you have enough money, you can make the law ...
As for legal "precedent" - stare decisis - the SC had no trouble tossing that out the window, it is oft used as a cover or backup for deciding what the Court has often pretty much decided beforehand if it agrees with that leaning, but ignored if it doesn't ...
Regulatory capture has been known and talked about for some time - joined at the hip by political capture, with no recourse - except the polls. So until we the people decide to break up that 2 party monopoly at the polls - nothing, as our current Pres. has informed us, will fundamentally change ...
On the face of it, how is a sugar company having 75% of the market NOT a monopoly. Also, why is the ruling under seal?