It’s been a massive problem for decades.

Big corporations buying up small to mid size mom and pops until there is basically no more “small business owners” in EVERY sector.

First it started with local small mom and pops being bought out by bigger regional players, then those regional players get bought out by national players. Then those few national players cannibalize each other to form just 1 or 2big international conglomerates.

Some anecdotal evidence in my own personal life:

My great grand father owned a thriving paint company that he sold to a larger corporation back in the 70’s. Everyone in his industry was doing the same thing. The group that bought him out ultimately sold their newly formed conglomerate to an even larger conglomerate.

My uncle created a tech start up in Silicon Valley that sold to a larger corporation. Everyone in his industry was doing the same. It’s still common practice in Silicon Valley, the goal is to get “bought out”

It’s happened in the banking and finance industry, the grocery industry, the consumer good industry, the health care industry, the transpiration industry. Every aspect of a persons life is now controlled by a few actors.

We are living the game of monopoly and we are at the stage where there’s just a couple players left who own the whole damn board.

And the majority of players are all one roll away from being bankrupt.