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The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Author: Sandyleelee   😊 😞
Number: of 86281 
Subject: Do I like Biden's FTC?
Date: 02/29/24 5:44 AM
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I dunno.

Admittedly I don't follow your news like before other than trends or headlines so my thoughts are incomplete I'm sure.

I see Lena Khan - ok - initially I see and hear a young, college-campus-bred, anti business Liberal.

BUT....... were it comes to 'competition':

Kroger-Albertsons. These 2 major grocers were not allowed to merge and regardless what they say - eliminating competition has NOTHING to do with better service or prices for consumers. IN the small business world I know this all too well. A big reason I early-retired is that direct competitors paid to buy me out - and literally the same day jacked up their prices and lowered employee pay and 3 years later they are even more powerful.


Spirit-JetBlue. CRIPES someone accidentally leaked JetBlue's plans to jack up fares 40% after such a deal -LOLOLOL. THIS WASN'T THE FTC but again - I don't see just how it's "good for the consumer" if 2 discount airlines merge.

NOW they(not sure if it's FTC or DOJ) are looking at United Healthcare. Sorry - while I do NOT want a government takeover of healthcare-- these HMOs have screwed up health care. Doctors and hospitals are their whores, plain and simple. HMOs are the best organized interest group there is in America and I'm glad someone might poke at them even if just a little bit.

I śaw on interview with Ms Khan a few months ago and when asked about being "anti business" she responded rather forthrightly - and I'm paraphrasing - but she pointed to a few examples and one that stood out of Boeing and McDonnell Douglass. She asked - did eliminating that competition "help" business and the consumer in that case?

I do feel American business - is slowly being controlled by fewer entities and it means higher prices, lower quality, and "talk to the chat bot" in terms of service.

Maybe it's time someone scrutinized these deals like is happening right now.

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This community has written 86,214 posts about US Policy. The article-length ones it recommended most:
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