THE ARTIFICIAL REDUCTION OF MARKET-COMPETITION IN THE US Come to think of it, what has happened in the US is as if Uncle Sam were still in the 19th century, before the Civil War, and the advent of the Industrial Age. It was the that historical fact for which the Civil War was started. Because historically the US was turning from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age. Which meant what? That markets were becoming ossified under the control of BigBusiness that had "industrialized". The BigMoney was no longer in owning land and producing agriculture. Which is why America evolved its Anti-Trust Laws, as described by WikiPedia here: United States antitrust law - excerpt: Unfortunately, we have allowed in the US over the past 30-years, and particularly since the advent of the Internet, companies to be "agglomerated" by the buyout process that has become popular over that time-period. The consequence of which is to artificially reduce competition AND REMAINS WHOLLY ILLEGAL ... PS: Further reading - Economics Online - Barriers to [Market] entry
