The Clone Town Free Market vs. Competitive Markets

Once upon a time we enforced antitrust or competition law in this country.  A time when you could go to a different town and it was actually different.  It had different stores that were owned by different people in the community.  Ownership was local so everything had a more local feel.  Our money more or less stayed in that community as the owners were not conglomerates.  They spent their profits locally, in local businesses.

Now, of course, it's different; a majority of US towns look the same.  "The Clone Town," as it has come to be known, have the same corporate names and all profits leave town to be redistributed via the corporate headquarters.


National branding and central management has gone a long way toward efficiently manufacturing our wants and then satisfying them--to the detriment of your local community.

Civil Anti-Competition Lawsuit Filings from 1890-2003

Accept for public utilities and patents, we have long had a public policy has been theoretically directed by a single guiding principle: competition.  Only, as seen by this graph, it hasn't been enforced since Johnson.  (Note if this graph was per business it would be much more dramatic.)  As an old school Smithian, Classical School, I believe in free, competitive, and just markets not solely free markets.  I also believe we should enforce the law.

Individuals should be free, markets should be free, competitive, and just, like Adam Smith originally conceived. 

Sincerely,
Lawrence Feriozzi

The continuum of faith in free markets:

• Marxist-no faith
• Keynesian-some faith
• Chicago School-great faith
• Austrian School-complete faith
  

(I am "post-Chicago," so perhaps "good faith" or an original Smithian, Classical School.  Our goal should be free, competitive, and just markets not just free markets.)

LINKS ON THIS TOPIC

American Independent Business Alliance--Helping Communities & Local Independent Businesses Thrive!

Journal of Competition Law & Economics

Likely made by a Marxist or Keynesian, but it emotes a relevant point for today.