Ted, this whole article misses the point. Of course small businesses and entrepreneurs help grow the economy. Of course industrial consolidation is the anathema of growth.
What that article fails to mention, however, is how hostile the business climate in America has become. There are lots of ways small businesses and entrepreneurs can compete against the big boys, if they're given a chance. But crushing business and environmental regulations often kill most of these dreams.
Meanwhile, as big businesses start seeing a hostile climate, they look for survival and continued profitability via the old-fashioned way: by merging and banding together. Sure, they can use their weight to drown out smaller competitors, but that usually weeds out the copycats, not the innovators.
By the way, the author's anti-Intel rant is just an example of one-sidedness. The antitrust lawsuit in NY state is a complete political play by Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking to make a name for himself. Antitrust matters should be handled by the DOJ or FTC, not by a single state. Meanwhile, the EU led by Neelie Kroes (a.k.a. Neelie the Terrible) was way too heavy-handed in its decision and is an example of what happens when the same person acts as judge, jury, and executioner, and also denies Intel due process.
In other words, that article is heavily biased toward bringing back the New Deal. Thus, it selectively states facts that only support that position. It should have been clear in the beginning when the author used such childish language like "nada, nil, zip." That's something I'd expect from an Internet post, not a well-reasoned essay.
Tenchusatsu |
