DOJ undermining anti-monopoly laws; Federal Trade Commission lashes back.

I should wait for someone smarter than I to blog about this report from the Department of Justice, because I barely understand it. But according to the Federal Trade Commission, the report significantly weakens and undermines existing anti-monopoly laws, giving mega corporations even more power over us dopey consumers.

The FTC had some strong words, actually:

Commissioners Harbour, Leibowitz, and Rosch believe that the Department’s report, if adopted by the courts, “would be a blueprint for radically weakened enforcement of Section 2 of the Sherman Act.” Commissioners Harbour, Leibowitz, and Rosch identified two “overarching concerns” with the DOJ report. First, while the Supreme Court has declared the welfare of consumers the primary goal of antitrust laws, the Department’s report “is chiefly concerned with firms that enjoy monopoly or near-monopoly power, and prescribes a legal regime that places these firms’ interests ahead of those of consumers.”

Read the DOJ report and FTC's response. And let's hope Alternet or someone blogs about it so I know what all this government in-fighting is about.