THE CAUSE AND CURE OF COERCIVE MONOPOLIES

I.  MONOPOLY AND COMPETITION: AN INTRODUCTION

    A.  What is "Monopoly" and "Competition"?

          1.  Elasticity of Demand & the Availability of Alternatives

          2.  Various Kinds of Market "Competition"

          3.  Critique of the "Pure and Perfect Competition" Model

               (George Reisman on "Platonic competition")

          4.  Ambiguity in the Use of the Term "Monopoly"

    B.  A Dialogue on How a Free Market Tends to Prevent Exploitative Monopolies

II. THE NATURE OF "ECONOMIC POWER" VERSUS "COERCIVE POWER"

    A.  The Nature of "Economic Power" (as the ability to offer alternative deals)

    B.  Trade vs. Theft:  the Voluntary Means vs. the Coercive Means

          1.  Definition of "Coercion" or "Violent Force"

          2.  Definition of Voluntary Relationship

    C.  The Coercive Nature of Political Power

III. HISTORICAL EXAMPLES (demonstrating that some form of government

           intervention was always involved in any true exploitative monopoly)

     A.  19^th and Early 20^th Century Capitalism & the "Robber Barons"

                     1.  "The Octopus": the Central Pacific Railroad

                     2.  The Credit Mobilier Scandal

           3.  The Erie Ring of 1872

           4.  The "Big Four" Railroads in California

           5.  John D. Rockefeller & Standard Oil

           6.  Some Heroes of American Capitalism

                 a.  J. J. Hill & the Great Northern Railroad

                 b.  Cornelius Vanderbilt vs. the Corrupt Erie Ring

                 c.   Lysander Spooner & the Private Mail Carriers

           7.  Support by Certain Elements of Big Business for More Federal

                     Regulations & Controls during the so-called "Progressive Era"

                 a.  Establishment of the Interstate Commerce Commission

                 b.  The Federal Trade Commission

                 c.  Who Was Behind the Federal Reserve System

           8.  Unwitting Support by Naïve Populists of Establishment Monopolies

           9.  The Antitrust Laws

     B.  Current Examples of Coercive Monopoly

           1.  Federal Monopolies (Post Office, Amtrak, TVA)

           2.  Local & State Monopolies

                a.  Dairy Cartels

                b.  Taxi Monopoly

IV.  THE CAUSE AND CURE OF COERCIVE MONOPOLIES

     A.  Interaction and Collusion between Business & Politics in Our "Mixed" Economy

                    1.  Symbiotic Relationship between Politicians & Vested Business Interests

                          (or, how the "pull peddlers" of interventionist government trade grants of

                          privilege to the special interests of pull to obtain campaign contributions)

                    2.  Symbiotic Relationship between Political Regulatory Bureaucracies &

                          Vested Interests in the Industries under Regulation (or, how to cartelize

                an economy and keep competition under control)

     B.  Socialism -- the Ultimate Coercive Monopoly

     C.  Laissez Faire – the Separation of Politics and Market