I mean, Standard Oil did get broken up. Ma Bell did get broken up. Clearly at some point the US government was able to resist pressure from these wealthy and well-connected corporates, and break them up for the sake of the rest of us. What's changed since then?

> What's changed since then?

These entities have acquired more capital, and thus more political power. How do you prevent this?

I don't think it's that simple. Standard Oil was huge, the companies of that era owned whole towns.

Right-wingers took more control over the parts of the government responsible for fighting monopolies

A Supreme Court ruling that allowed essentially unlimited and unregulated anonymous spending on political campaigns as being protected by the first amendment.

Money and wealth have more influence and power than ever over our politics.

> What's changed since then?

Populism is a dirty word.

Progressivism used to mean seeking economic fairness Teddy Roosevelt-style and now it means woke identity politics.

Whistleblowers of any kind have no protections anymore.

Any talk of reforming the system is seen as anti-American by the free market crowd.

There's more to binge on Netflix.