When Americans hear the word "Monopoly", usually the first image that pops in to their heads is the board game, that takes a little too long to finish properly. The funny little man with the moustache, and trying to desperately monopolize as much as you can without going bankrupt or worse....Jail. But what about real life monopolies that happen under everyone's noses, and are perfectly legal? They control our day to day lives, and they are only getting worse. Who are we to blame for this atrocity? well we are.

Okay, maybe not us directly, but Americans as consumers have made the decisions that eventually led to these monopolies. Your probably wondering how we could have monopolies anywhere in the first place, aren’t they illegal? Well they are, so instead the governments simply came up with a reasonable explanation, and they call them "Natural Monopolies". The easiest way to define that is when a free market manufacturer, who because of accidental monopolistic effects, eventually became an legal monopoly. The United States Postal Service, is on of the largest examples of this. It is actually illegal for a competitor service to deliver first class mail to the public.

Since, at one time in your life you will need to know a little about different Economic Markets if they ever come up in conversation with friends, or in a news story, the following is a brief description.

Mixed Economy is best defined as , is an Economic Market similar to the United States of America, in the fact it combines both Socialism and Capitalism.

Capitalism- Is the "live and let live " approach, also commonly referred to as Laissez-Faire. The reason it is described this way is because this Economic Market does not allow government involvement in its economy. There is a separation between the State and of the Economy.

Now due to the lack of regulations in this sort of uncontrolled mixed economic market, it is constantly changing. Like a sort of intellectual chaos.

If the government does decide to impose a regulation of sorts, they are rarely successful. Unless the populous are oppressed and forced to follow the regulation, t

Now, in a Mixed Economy Privately owned business, may have certain regulations from the government they are forced to follow though. Product Integrity, Product safety, and Price gouging, are some of the regulations the make sure that consumers are being protected by the privately owned operations within this market.

Developing nations or markets that are struggling may choose to go with a Free Market. They have immediate benefits within the society, but without any control may go under and lead to a market failure. Some markets, may start out as a Free enterprise, and eventually become a mixed market, which is the preferred market of many countries today.

It is because of these changing structures within mixed economic structures, that lead to the monopolies. Some are created to help the consumer, such as public transit or the monopoly. It would not be feasible to have two companies build subway systems leading to the same places, and the two companies have a price competition. This is one of the cases in which society doesn't mind a monopoly.

Another common monopoly that has been deemed okay, is the utility companies, such as gas and water. Again, it would not be economically possible to have two or three gas lines to every house, or water line. To protest against price fixation, the government has now set up regulations, which in turn assures it a profit. It has been referred to as a lazy monopoly, because both the company and the government are going to be paid regularly.

So from our Airport, hospital and schools, to our drugs, transit and water, we have now made it possible, through our choices as a consumer, for our own government to legally monopolize half of the major businesses that are used on a daily basis.

Sorry America, but its sad to say we are no longer the voice of the people. We should all go to jail, directly to jail, without passing go and collecting our $200.

Doesn’t it make you proud to be a US citizen?

Shane Maddon

11/27/08