Today's media: 6 blind mice?

Since the pre-diversity days of the 1980s, America's media diversity has collapsed from 50 media companies down to just six. This happened to us because … well, someone wanted it to happen. But who?

On the business end, certain company managements believe they will make more money if they don't have to compete with so many other companies. Or they might view themselves in a weak position against a strong competitor and believe they would improve their survival options by being bought out. Or perhaps the deal wouldn't do much for the company, but a merger would make upper management a bucket full of cash.

Big mergers have to be granted approval by big government. In theory, the government is there to protect consumers, the first thought being that more competition means more consumer choice, which means a better life. But if one company is is seeking a buyer because it won't survive on its own, there could be lots of employees dumped on the street if the merger is denied and the bankruptcy begins. And the political views of the administration in charge are always present.

One factor that is usually ignored is that big likes to do business with big. The fact that one party at the merger table is a big business and another is a big government is sometimes overlooked by the rest of us. It shouldn't be, because that's how we ended up with only token media choice between the 1980s and today. There is one overwhelming reason why big government loves doing business with big business. Do you know what it is?

Big government likes to control its citizens through big business. With government operating behind the scenes, business is blamed for "prohibiting" customers from taking certain actions with its product or service, or requiring that it be used in a specific way, or not used in a different way. In reality it is the government, not the business that wanted that product or service kept off the market, or used with certain restrictions. If such a law were enacted by government, it might be overturned as unconstitutional – such as free speech issues. Private business can do as it sees fit.

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There is a name for this system of government. It's called fascism.

If, for example, big government wanted to restrict news to that expressed through the filter of a single overarching political viewpoint, convincing 50 different media companies of the desirability of following the government's guidance on reporting the news would soon become a huge news story on its own. But is it possible to gaIn such control with only six major media companies?

Kind of makes you wonder about big tech, doesn't it? Does big tech get anything from big government for restricting certain views of world events from popular discussion? Subsidies? Preferential legal treatment? Tax breaks? Access? Was big tech simply too attractive of a way for big government to implement wholesale espionage against its citizens in their daily lives?

I remember in the '70s the uproar when the FBI sought library loan records for several patrons. Does Amazon sell or share its book purchase records with anyone? If it does, why would government be prohibited from accessing those purchase or loan records? Is Amazon in partnership with anyone who is invisible?

Could it be that big pharma, big pharmacies and big health insurance companies play the same game with the government? Maybe the same game is played at the state and municipal levels, just slimmed down.

Maybe there's not really just six blind mice; maybe there's 300 million or more in America. I wonder how many there are in the world? Would corporate breakups from one big to many small help restore individual freedom? Competition? Innovation?

Might this verse from the Bible provide a roadmap as to where we now are? "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore – cargoes of gold, silver … and human beings sold as slaves. [Revelation 18:11-13 (NIV)]