AOL Time Warner

Here's what I want to know. I think I asked this once before and got no direct answer, but I'm gonna bring it up again. Decades ago, maybe in the 30's, movie studios also owned theater chains, and in a famous supreme court decision, this sort of arrangement was deemed a monopoly, and the studios were ordered to sell off the theaters, the reason being they owned the means of production as well as distribution. The situation we have today is far, far worse, with many companies in different industries doing this quite flagrantly. AOL/Time Warner is just one of the most disgusting examples. If prior legal precedent is how new court decsions are made, then WHY are these obvious monopolies allowed to exist?? I don't really expect anyone here to really research this, but seriously, this is something I'd really like an answer to.

I don't use AOL for internet access, but if I want an album that's put out by the Warner conglomerate, I'm just going to buy it. Not buying it out of principle would be absurd, since almost all music is put out by a handful of worldwide conglomerates anyway.

Hmm, well it's nice to know so many other people are interested as well. At least both of us are named Sean...

you forget, sean, that in the rhetoric of conservativism companies are like super-citizens, and giving them as much leeway as possible is now what's preferred. expect this to get even worse in the case of aol/tw, thanks to the fcc chairmanship of michael powell, who thinks the regulatory agency does a bit too much regulating.

also of note, the huge tax break for companies (something like $15 million for IBM) given in the tax bill in the name of 'patriotism.' it's gross, but it's not like it's going to stop anytime soon, especially now, in the era of 'let's pass all those laws that people objected to before september 11 in the name of america!'

when i got a new computer AOL was the default for everything and it took me an hour to rid all of it from the computer. of course then everyone started asking me why i didn't have AIM so i had to get that...AOL=evil bastards.