by Brian LaSorsa
It’s hard to maintain monopoly status in a free market when you have to deal with all that competition and whatnot.
Between other companies’ low prices and new, updated products entering the market each day, it’s almost like Rich Uncle Pennybags is a thing of the past. But fret not!
The politicians of the world would like to offer anyone dead set on controlling an entire industry the chance to shine. So come one, come all — government agencies, cronies, and all their friends — as we present the five best ways to create a monopoly and to ensure you never have to compete again.
1. Regulations. When the cost of doing business is high, make it higher. Small firms can’t survive government imposed regulations while bigger firms can certainly bear the burden, at least temporarily. Taxes, mandates, and especially “safety regulations” (e.g., clinical trials at the Food and Drug Administration) will wipe out your competition before they even have time to ask what the new rules mean. Then hire a lobbyist in Washington. I’m sure he or she will come up with a good reason that the industry should adhere to stricter and more expensive guidelines.
2. Subsidies. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. But, when the government is paying for it, the lunch sure does taste free.
Moot. Monopolies existed before gov intervention, gov actually intervened to break them up 100 years ago. Monopolies are the natural result of the cream rising to the top.In competition, somebody eventually wins.