alt.politics.economics

"John" <@> wrote in message
news:a4d0a6ed-5742-40aa-a59a-48b59d9b4946@...
On Feb 23, 11:02 am, ZerkonX wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:04:10 -0800, John wrote:
> > As more companies acquire large segments of an industry, they will begin
> > colluding with their coutnerparts to divy up the market and keep it
> > growing through manipulation of the product rather than through
> > innovation.
>
> Windows Vista

One product for a segment of industry that has not matured. In
automobiles? Oil? Steel? Tires? I'm sure you can come up with
other products but my point is that the mature industries are
controlled by oligarchies. Why are prices so uniform among mature
industries?

Because they are caught between a rock and a hard place. "If" they lower
their prices, their competitors may follow suit, and then everyone makes
less money. "If" just one of them raises their prices and no one else
follows suit, their competitors will sell more of the products they produce,
and the company that raises it prices will sell less of the products they
produce.