The average leftist can’t wrap their head around the fact that their policies ironically lead to greater corporate consolidation.
Regulations aren’t cheap. They impose major costs on small-and medium-sized businesses that often result in them getting priced out of the market. By contrast, well-established corporations, by virtue of their size and vast legal resources to fight off onerous regulations, can shoulder the costs of big government. As a result of these regulations, the large incumbents survive, while their challengers die off.
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is one elected official who grasps this uncomfortable truth. She illustrated this in a tweet she posted on April 23, 2022:
If you think companies like Amazon are too big, maybe you shouldn’t have supported minimum wage increases, allowed bad regulations businesses and consumers can’t afford, and closed small businesses while allowing the big guys to operate.
Capitalism hasn’t failed. You did.
If you think companies like Amazon are too big, maybe you shouldn't have supported minimum wage increases, allowed bad regulations businesses and consumers can't afford, and closed small businesses while allowing the big guys to operate.
Capitalism hasn't failed. You did.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) April 23, 2022
It’s ironic that the Left doesn’t comprehend this truth about the regulatory state. Regulations are often crafted by established corporate actors out of fear of competition. Some are also lazy and corrupt, so they use the state to erect barriers against prospective competitors. That’s the way the state and unscrupulous actors feed off each other.
If the Left were serious about helping the working class, it would be promoting sound money, downsizing the regulatory state, and restricting immigration to protect workers’ wages.
Growing the administrative state is just asking for additional unintended consequences.
