The Skeeter Daddle Diaries

Money talks, buddy, and bullshit walks…. We all know that. But now, in the 21st Century, we got Big Money and Big Money doesn’t just talk, it yells, it screams, it commands. You want to understand politics or the economy or the world, start listening to that hollering. Go down to your local grocery store, it’s one of about 3 or 4 chains, not much competition. Fly the friendly skies, take your pick from 3 or 4, prices pretty much the same, all high. Listen to your favorite AM radio station, right, owned by one mega company probably, mostly right wing hot talk. Looking for something, anything, on your computer, that search engine probably is Google, maybe a couple others. Ordering something you want, sure, chances are you used Prime. Get your news from X or Facebook? Hearing the Roar yet?

The Murdochs, the Bezos, the Musks, the Zuckerbergs, all those fat cats aren’t just accumulating billions, they’re shrinking the world to fewer and fewer choices. Competition — remember competition, that quaint notion that in a capitalist economic system it would bring prices down for the consumer? — well, it’s vanishing. The corporate boyz bought up the competition. Stock holders are happy, not sure how you feel about it. Need a good doctor? Probably get a choice of one or two clinics or hospitals. Need meds? Big Pharma has made sure you can’t compare prices with what they charge other countries. Price gouging, you ask? Or maybe you don’t, not that it matters.

Artificial Intelligence is coming next. Hell, Artificial Intelligence is here now. Who do you think is running that? Fat Freddie’s Bot Shop? Try again. The Congress hauled in the Tech Giants awhile back, maybe get a handle on what the implications for what’s coming down the pike are, possibly put some guardrails up before it’s too late. Fat chance, Fred. The genie is out of the bottle and you won’t be getting three wishes. You’ll look back at 3 options before too long as the Good Old Days. When competition was limited, but at least you could shop at Krogers instead of Safeway. Cost the same though…

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