We’ll have a conversation about the rise of corporate monopolies in light of Amazon’s $13.7 billion bid to buy Whole Foods. Since the 1980's, corporate monopolies have dramatically increased. Five banks control about 47 percent of the country’s banking assets; four airlines dominate the skies; and six companies control 90 percent of the US media.
What is a corporate monopoly? And why does it matter that a handful of companies control the majority of our economy?
Guests:
Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and author of Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses
Rep. Ro Khanna, Congressman representing California’s 17th Congressional District
Web Resources:
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
The Atlantic: The Rise and Fall of the Word 'Monopoly' in American Life
The Atlantic: America’s Monopoly Problem
CNBC: Amazon-Whole Foods deal hurts grocery stores in my district, says Silicon Valleycongressman