The Most Powerful Monopoly
The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed in 1890; the vote was almost unanimous. The law prohibits entities from pursuing conduct that attempts to control a market or the execution of anticompetitive agreements which work to restrict a free market. The Department of Justice is authorized to pursue any entity it deems to be in breach of the statute. Said simply, the government has a mechanism to protect consumers from organizations which gain too much power and can control product availability and pricing.
Since the passing of the act, the DOJ has effectively used this tool to ensure the public isn’t harmed by overjealous organizations. Over the years the DOJ has filed suit against, and won relief from various groups, including Standard Oil, American Tobacco Company, AT&T, American Medical Association, and Microsoft. Currently the DOJ has sued Kroger and Albertsons in relation to their announced merger.
A monopoly is usually defined as a marketplace where a single seller or producer assumes a dominant position in an industry or sector and restricts choices. This results in a situation where competitors are unable to break through and offer an alternative.
Even though monopolies are commonly believed to only be driven by one entity, I have come to believe the most powerful monopoly in our country is a concerted effort by two well-orchestrated groups who work in concert with each other to eliminate options; and it is happening right in front of our eyes.
The Democrat and Republican parties fight against each other bitterly. They see the world differently, they compete every second of the day, and they don’t like each other; and yet, they are interlocked in their desire to restrict the voter’s choice to one or the other.
The concerted effort, supported by the media, has created a situation where no other party or movement can stand up to this political machine; there isn’t a third party that has broken through. Some argue this is because there isn’t a group with an alternative platform strong enough to garner the support of the population. Is that true? I don’t think so. If that were true, so many Americans wouldn’t identify as independent. I have seen estimates that suggest roughly 70% of the population no longer consider themselves to be either a Republican or a Democrat. Maybe the number of independents is overstated, I don’t know. Regardless, I am quite certain the number of unaffiliated voters is at least around half of the US population.
I for one, fit into the category of residing in the middle. I hold some beliefs that work nicely with one party, but then views that are more consistent with the other. Said differently, I don’t agree with either party exclusively. I am the definition of independent.
Imagine my dismay when it’s time to vote and I don’t have a candidate who comes close to capturing what I believe. I am forced to hold my nose and choose someone who I wouldn’t vote for if there were other options. It is discouraging.
But it’s not discouraging if you are in a power position at one of the parties. Over time the two-party system has so restricted choice as to allow each party to narrowly define its platform and fight for its “base.” Think about it. Each party stays relevant by targeting a small percentage of the US population with their worn-out, narrow agenda. They don’t have to exist in the real world, they can fight for voter turnout in their core group and hope to capture enough of us unhappy moderates to win. It is an absurd situation.
This fall we are facing a choice that the overwhelming majority of Americans don’t want. We live in the most advanced nation in the world, but we exist in a system that restricts how we elect leaders. It is silly.
I have regretfully come to this view after years of wanting to feel active in our political process. I try to pay attention to what is happening, I research candidates, and I vote. Unfortunately, I have come to believe I, like most Americans, are hopelessly trapped in an environment where the stranglehold of our two-party system is now akin to the most powerful company controlling all aspects of a commercial market. What is the difference between us having to choose between two parties or only having one phone carrier?
The law says that entities can’t work in concert with each other to restrict competition. Ask yourself, even though they fight against each other, aren’t they also doing everything they can to prevent choice? It is a well-oiled machine; and why not? The power and the money are too big.
Given the incentive to control voters’ choice, and the embedded power they have, I am not optimistic this will change. I am equally convinced the DOJ will never consider my novel idea that the two political parties are acting in an anti-competitive manner. I just don’t see it happening. So, what then do we do? The short answer is I don’t know. I hold some hope that if enough people reach a point where we have had it, maybe a better funded alternative will develop; but that seems doubtful.
I accept that not everyone sees this as a problem. To some, our system is above reproach. Others would cite Winston Churchill’s second speech to the US Congress as evidence that we stand above the rest and change isn’t necessary. In that speech he said, “Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried, from time to time.”
I understand the pride people have in the US system and I share the view that we are a beacon for the world to follow. And yet, I am also reminded of the words our first president George Washington, delivered during his farewell address in 1796, "However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."
Amen.
