[1propionyl]

You might be surprised to learn (it surprised me too!) that the new FTC leadership has affirmed Khan and Kantor's 2023 guidelines on anti-trust and stated they will carry forward with them.

It's an odd situation where more aggressive anti-trust posture is actually rather popular with Trump's base. Anecdotally, I know several 2024 Trump voters who cite Khan's FTC as the thing they liked the most (or only) under Biden.

I tend to agree with you otherwise, but this issue does have a bipartisan consensus forming and it's unwise to seek conflict where you share values.

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/trump-enforcers-affirm-li...

[hibikir]

Having an extreme regulatory posture, which is then lifted for friends and family, is typical in developing countries. The barriers make it so that your friends' companies do not get significant competition.

[mlinhares]

Americans are going to be very surprised when they figure out what happens to the government when the country becomes a third world Latin American state.

At least those of us that did live through the turmoil in these countries can see what is going on.

[onemoresoop]

American exceptionalism shield them from learning from others mistakes

[like_any_other]

> what happens to the government when the country becomes a third world Latin American state.

That has been the goal of their immigration policy since the 1960s.

[sonofhans]

“For my friends: everything; for my enemies: the law.”

[ToucanLoucan]

For all the weight that carries in an environment where an un-elected billionaire can come in and ransack the place at a moments notice.

[1propionyl]

On some level I hope he tries. There's already mounting hostility on the populist wing of the right towards Elon. Going after anti-trust might just be the bridge too far.

And frankly, given his public comments about and noted vitriol towards Lina Khan and the FTC (and his own tendencies towards seeking monopolies) I assume at some point he'll try.

Further, purely speculating: it may be he already has tried. It's indicative that we didn't immediately see him go for the FTC. He's too small of a man to not have wanted to for personal reasons, and too greedy to not have wanted to for long-term business reasons. I have to wonder if he was restrained from doing so on account of (correctly) predicted blowback from such an action.

Seeming to come down on the side of John Deere and DuPont subsidiaries and spinoffs is not a smart move. These are hot issues for the populist wing of the party who want to purge what they label as the "Con(servative) Inc" wing and routinely make hobbyhorses of issues affecting farmers in flyover states.

[darkerside]

> Further, purely speculating: it may be he already has tried. It's indicative that we didn't immediately see him go for the FTC.

Pure speculation. It could just as easily be frog boiling. I guess we'll all find out soon.

[pclmulqdq]

He has started by going after the groups that are investigating his companies. USAID investigated overpaying for starlink in Ukraine. FDA doesn't like neuralink. The FAA investigates every time he blows up a rocket and showers debris into the airspace. The IRS has audited his tax filings before and he expressed frustration about it. He hasn't done anything the FTC cares about yet, though.

[throwawaymaths]

well then you will be surprised by the facts. trump just sided with khan on this issue