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The free market is not sophisticated enough to remove monopolistic forces. Without government intervention we'd still have Standard Oil. Without Microsoft bein
by echelon 2y ago
The free market is not sophisticated enough to remove monopolistic forces.
Without government intervention we'd still have Standard Oil. Without Microsoft being forced to invest in Apple in the late 90's to avoid DOJ scrutiny, Apple would have gone bankrupt and we wouldn't even have an iPhone.
And before "iPhone is not a monopoly" arguments, there are only two smartphone platforms and both are strong arming marketplace participants in a function essential to navigating the modern world.
Google is being told to relinquish Chrome and that's good. But we need both Apple and Google to relinquish control over what can be installed on devices as well.
The time for scare-free web installs by default is now. Apple and Google will still keep their trillion dollar market caps, but the rest of the market will be able to innovate with many more degrees of freedom.
- bdcravens 2y agoWithout the threat of forced compliance by the government (courts), Elon Musk wouldn't have bought Twitter.
- aleph_minus_one 2y ago> The free market is not sophisticated enough to remove monopolistic forces. It is (in most cases). The problem is rather that most people don't care: the market delivers, and turns into an oligopoly.
- echelon 2y ago> most people don't care This is why the DOJ function is essential. Most people aren't informed enough to understand how this effects them or even have the awareness that this is happening at all. Ordinary citizens would need hours of lectures and study to understand the dynamics at play and how that impacts everyone in the market negatively. That's why this is a job for the DOJ.