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DOJ Blocks Satellite TV Merger
EyesWideOpen writes "The Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block a merger between EchoStar Communications and Hughes Electronics that would have created the nation's largest pay-television service, stating that 'This merger would give EchoStar control of the skies for the provision of video programming by satellite, leaving customers to suffer from the resulting reduction of competition'. The FCC had already voted unanimously to oppose the merger because it would create a monopoly that would have 'adverse' effects for consumers."
When the government grants a certain business a regional territory, franchise, subsidy, or, protection, competition is legally prevented by threat of force.
Violators of the government's will are arrested at gun point, if need be, or punished with fines. Government cooperation with special interests in business and interference with the free market is the real source of all coercive monopolies.
When the government allows companies to merge into huge monopolies, they are only laying the foundations for socialism -- and that's the last thing we ever want in America.
Without free markets and cutthroat competition, our economy will become stagnant and weak and eventually fall apart due to corruption and incompetence, like in the former Soviet Union and soon to be in socialist western Europe.