Trustbusters

History shows that individuals stop limiting their free will and begin acting for themselves when governments fail to maintain safe and functioning societies that provide public benefits.  The people of the United States founded their chosen system of government to provide checks and balances on all types of power. The resulting social contract between them requires state and federal “trustbusters” to provide those checks and balances on both each other and all those who seek to become totalitarians of trade so that society can enjoy the innovation and choices that competition creates. As we look at current conditions in the vaccine, baby formula, and other industry marketplaces, are they efficiently and effectively innovating and providing society with choices? State enforcers’ more than a century of experience demonstrates that such public benefits can be achieved by serving as champions of competition, proactive preventers and healers of harm, and deputies of deterrence.

By Amy N. L. Hanson^[1]

I. INTRODUCTION

A silver lining to the ongoing pandemic is that it showcases how competitive markets can efficiently and effectively drive innovation that benefits society as a whole. According to reporting from CNBC, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies were aware of a mysterious and dangerous new pathogen spread in Wuhan, China from at least the earliest months of 2020. Yet, they contented themselves with nicely “playing in a sandbox”^[2] to minimi