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CAPSULE COMMENTARY: “Antitrust Laws Empower the State”

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“On the heels of the Justice Department’s antitrust case against that big, bad monopoly Microsoft comes antitrust action by German authorities against Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart? But everyone knows that Wal-Mart doesn’t charge high, monopolistic prices! That’s right. Which is exactly why it’s getting charged with antitrust violations. The Wall Street Journal reported that last week German officials accused Wal-Mart of antitrust violations for charging low prices for its products. So, if a company can be prosecuted for charging prices that are too high and prices that are too low, perhaps the solution is for all businesses to charge a ‘normal’ price. Wrong! If they do that, they could be charged with collusion, another antitrust violation. It only goes to show the true nature and purpose of antitrust laws — they’re nothing but regulatory shams that provide government officials with standby authority to prosecute any business they want. “

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Jacob G. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. He was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and received his B.A. in economics from Virginia Military Institute and his law degree from the University of Texas. He was a trial attorney for twelve years in Texas. He also was an adjunct professor at the University of Dallas, where he taught law and economics. In 1987, Mr. Hornberger left the practice of law to become director of programs at the Foundation for Economic Education. He has advanced freedom and free markets on talk-radio stations all across the country as well as on Fox News’ Neil Cavuto and Greta van Susteren shows and he appeared as a regular commentator on Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show Freedom Watch. View these interviews at LewRockwell.com and from Full Context. Send him email.