4 ms·

This is a poltical play. All of these should be targets but the WH is looking for a pre-election "win", more symbolic than anything. Google is ~80% of search

This is a poltical play. All of these should be targets but the WH is looking for a pre-election "win", more symbolic than anything. Google is ~80% of search in the US. Large percentage of online advertising. Lots of anti-competitive stuff to point to. Apple is 50% at best of the smartphone market and their major competitors are South Korean and Chinese. Targeting Apple, with no major US competitor, is NOT a win. Not a good thing to be bringing up in an election year. Amazon would also be a complicated anti-trust target, you need to specifically focus on online retail effects while not allowing Amazon to switch the conversation to talking about general retail and Walmart/Target. So, too complicated for any kind of quick traction.

pbourke 6y ago
> the WH is looking for a pre-election "win", more symbolic than anything. The "win" being the announcement of a case and ensuing press coverage or whatnot? I'm assuming it would take years for such a case to be concluded.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
  Yeah if the dust has settled in five years that would be surprisingly quick. I'm curious what the community of legal scholars considers most likely in this case.
- sdenton4 6y ago
  Pick more fights to distract people from all the existing losing fights! How's that wall looking?
  - aaronbrethorst 6y ago
    Going great! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/politics/border-wall-coronavirus.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/politics/border-wall-c... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/nyregion/steve-bannon-arrested-indicted.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/nyregion/steve-bannon-arr...
- nickff 6y ago
  Every administration uses the announcement of proceedings (in various fields) as an achievement in and of itself. Similarly, passing laws and regulations is regarded as an achievement, regardless of whether the laws achieve their stated aims.
deadmik3 6y ago
so the easiest, biggest, and most blatant antitrust target out of your own examples is just a political play?
- aaronbrethorst 6y ago
  When it is executed haphazardly and before it’s ready such that career prosecutors threaten to quit in protest? Yes.
- Ensorceled 6y ago
  It is during an election year with literally only weeks to go and, as pointed out in the article, experienced careerists saying "we're not ready"
deleted 6y ago
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pbourke 6y ago

> the WH is looking for a pre-election "win", more symbolic than anything. The "win" being the announcement of a case and ensuing press coverage or whatnot? I'm assuming it would take years for such a case to be concluded.

asdfasgasdgasdg 6y ago
Yeah if the dust has settled in five years that would be surprisingly quick. I'm curious what the community of legal scholars considers most likely in this case.
sdenton4 6y ago
Pick more fights to distract people from all the existing losing fights! How's that wall looking?
- aaronbrethorst 6y ago
  Going great! https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/politics/border-wall-coronavirus.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/politics/border-wall-c... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/nyregion/steve-bannon-arrested-indicted.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/nyregion/steve-bannon-arr...
nickff 6y ago
Every administration uses the announcement of proceedings (in various fields) as an achievement in and of itself. Similarly, passing laws and regulations is regarded as an achievement, regardless of whether the laws achieve their stated aims.

deadmik3 6y ago

so the easiest, biggest, and most blatant antitrust target out of your own examples is just a political play?

aaronbrethorst 6y ago
When it is executed haphazardly and before it’s ready such that career prosecutors threaten to quit in protest? Yes.
Ensorceled 6y ago
It is during an election year with literally only weeks to go and, as pointed out in the article, experienced careerists saying "we're not ready"

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]