Industry Cartels - A Growing Concern?

I thought this was interesting.

Republicans in the wake of the pandemic have also sought to regulate blocs in the domestic meatpacking industry, most of which is controlled by only four companies — Tyson Foods, Cargill, JBS USA and National Beef Packing Company. The packing industry is located in the middle of the beef industry’s supply chain, just as the shipping industry lies in the middle of many consumer goods pipelines.

I don’t know a whole lot about it. I do know these “mergers” have been going on for years - big eats small.

Tyson and Cargill are US owned. JBS is Brazilian. National Beef is majority owned by a Brazilian company.

I get the concern. I know the meat packers screwed over the ranchers, us and their employees during the Great 'Rona Hysteria of 2020.

I wonder if legislation is necessary and if so, what should it look like? I get the feeling everybody is lying to us on this.

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Government-run competitors can put the brakes on this wherever it threatens national security.

Seems like some are trying.

Business cartels are illegal in the US. If these companies can be shown to be acting as a cartel they should face the consequences.

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“If the Government went into the business of making beer, they couldn’t do it for less that $50 a six-pack.” Vice President, Hubert Humphry (D).

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No legislation is necessary and there is no “cartels” forcing up prices.

They just need to take their legislation and bugger off.

True, the Sherman act has been there to break up monopolies since 1890.

Reagan stopped enforcing it…and every every POTUS that followed also did not enforce it.

40 years later, virtually every industry that exists, is owned by 4-6 companies.

There is only the illusion of choice…

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Campaign donations perhaps have anything to do with that?

Of course…that is one of the biggest problems…SCOTUS legalized the bribing of pols.

And most cons defend those decisions.

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From what I have observed over the decades is that the SEC does a pretty good job at regulating large corporations against mergers that can lead to monopolies in any given industry. And they have been pretty good at regulating where and when our corporations can establish footholds in outer countries.

Has it? Is the meat packing industry and what they did during the hysteria not evidence to the contrary?

What seems to happen is they do a good job of two or less, but not 4 or more.

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If we would ever friggin admit on a large national scale that we live in an oligarchy, maybe something could be done about it on a large national scale.

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Tell Hildawg and the rest of your leaders to stop trying to suppress the 1st Amendment.

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Yeah you guys hate cartels. Lol.

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Great contribution! From the workshop?

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