I am enjoying hearing my conservative friends espousing the danger of powerful monopolies and the importance of strong government action to ensure that monopolies cannot seize a stranglehold over the republic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_antitrust_law #USPolitics #monopoly
When you blanket email all your customers with a non-apology for increasing their bill 100% year on year you cannot claim to be writing to them personally and you can't convince them that you're investing the money in necessary infrastructure when it's on public record that you keep giving your shareholders and executives record payouts. Do better! #corruption #monopoly #utilities #NationaliseWaterCompaniesNow
https://weownit.org.uk/privatisation-profits-from-pollution/southern-water
That was the advantage of being the banker. You could steal some money when the other players were rolling dice (not paying attention).
No one would notice that the bank had no money left, because they were worried they would roll a bad number and have to pay rent. Or worse.
Very instructive game. Unfortunately, reality.
Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Don Sahlin showing off how to make various characters with a “whatnot/anything” Muppet. Because I just think it's neat.
how many thousands of people are watching #eurovision on tv screens IN A STADIUM?!?
36,000 PEOPLE IN A SING-ALONG?
USA arena, club, theater and music #monopoly and #monopsonies have created a false scarcity for live acts. ICP & Grateful Dead had to create theirs.
that’s why most USA acts have to go to Europe and South America to make most of their money. cuz the USA mediamafia steals sales, streaming & broadcasting residuals even from megastars like Taylor Swift & Rihanna.
#Verizon’s pledge to end #DEI was outlined in a May 15 letter to the commission, which Carr shared on X Friday. “A good step forward for *equal* opportunity, *nondiscrimination*, & the public interest,” the #FCC chair wrote. Shortly after he posted that, the FCC announced the approval of the Verizon - #Frontier #merger.
#Trump #FCC Approves #Verizon’s $20 Billion #Frontier Acquisition After #Telco Committed to Eliminating #DEI, Agency’s #GOP Chair Says
After Verizon agreed to end its #diversity, #equity & #inclusion policies, the FCC—led by Trump-appointed chair Brendan Carr — approved the telco’s $20B deal to acquire #FrontierCommunications.
#law #antitrust #monopoly #competition #hate #discrimination #bigotry #labor #business #AmericanAutocracy
https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/fcc-approves-verizon-frontier-merger-eliminate-dei-carr-1236400724/
What does power do to humans?
A little insight into our psychology.
El #Monopoly no fue inventado por los hermanos Parker, ni por quien le dieron crédito. En 1904, el Monopoly se llamaba originalmente The Landlord's Game, y fue inventado por una mujer radical. El juego original de Elizabeth Magie no tenía una, sino dos reglas entre las que elegir.
Una se llamaba «#Prosperidad», en la que cada jugador ganaba dinero cada vez que otro ganaba una propiedad. Y el juego lo ganaban todos los que jugaban sólo cuando la persona que menos tenía duplicaba sus recursos.
#Monopoly wasn't invented by the Parker Brothers, nor the man they gave it credit for. In 1904, Monopoly was originally called The Landlord's Game, and was invented by a radical woman. Elizabeth Magie's original game had not one, but two sets of rules to choose from.
One was called "#Prosperity", where every player won money anytime another gained a property. And the game was won by everyone playing only when the person with the least doubled their resources. A game of collaboration and social good.
The second set of rules was called "Monopoly", where players succeeded by taking properties and rent from those with less luck rolling the dice. The winner was the person eliminating everyone else.
Magie's mission was to teach us how different we feel when playing Prosperity vs Monopoly, hoping that it would one day change national policies.
When the Parker Bros adopted the game, they erased the "Prosperity" rules & celebrated "Monopoly".
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/ruthless-monopolys-secret-history/
Thank you, @MarkHoltom.
BREAKING: #Fortnite is coming to US App Store any day now!
US judge said #Apple “outright lied” to steal from app developers & increase prices for users - all to uphold its greedy #monopoly.
But the days for FEES on web transactions are finally gone.
Fortnite was submitted to the US App Store yesterday - so it now lies with Apple to publish it quickly: https://x.com/TutaPrivacy/status/1921269111373652385
Read the whole story: 
https://tuta.com/blog/apple-us-antitrust-ruling
DOJ pushes for Google to sell its advertising platforms
#Musk is clearly imagining a future in which neither his network nor his will can be restrained by the people of this world. But even now, here on Earth, #space #internet is a big #business. Fiber networks cannot extend to every bit of dry land on the planet, & they certainly can’t reach airborne or seaborne vessels. More than 5 million people have already signed up for #Starlink, & it is growing rapidly.
Then, after considering the question further, McDowell realized there was a precedent, but only one: Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the Soviet engineer who developed #Sputnik & its launch vehicle. “From 1958 to 1959, when no one else had any #satellites in orbit, Korolev was the only guy in town.” #Musk is not the only guy in town circa 2025, but the rapid growth of his #space-based network may represent a Sputnik moment of its own.
This fleet, which works to provide #space-based #internet service to the ground, dwarfs those of all other private #companies & #NationStates put together. And almost every week, #Musk adds to it, flinging dozens more #satellites into the sky.
Andersen recently asked the space historian Jonathan McDowell, who keeps an online registry of #Earth’s satellites, if any one person had ever achieved such #dominance over the orbital realm, & so quickly. “This is unique,”he said.
As a #gamer, I follow the on #epicgames fight against #apple
Some people might mistake Epic and it's CEO, Time Sweeney, for the good guys.
Let me tell you, praising Epic because they´re fighting Apple is like praising Hitler because he killed Hitler.
They're both mega-capilistic #broligarchs who wouldn't hesitate before throwing you into a meat grinder, if they could only make a few buck out of it.
Sweeney is at it because he dreams of becoming The One Monopoly(tm) in games distribution, both on PCs and mobile. Don't fall for his bullshit
Judge rules #Apple exec lied under oath, refers case for criminal proceedings… Here’s some of what the Judge said in her ruling: “This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order. Time is of the essence. The Court will not tolerate further delays. As previously ordered, Apple will not impede competition. The Court enjoins Apple from implementing its new anticompetitive acts to avoid compliance with the Injunction. Effective immediately Apple will no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases.” #legal #apps #AppStore #developers #AntiTrust #DeveloperFees #competition #monopoly
https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/judge-rules-apple-executive-lied
