Antitrust is due for an overhaul. Traditionally, they theory has been that if it's good for the consumer, then it's not a violation, where "good for the consumer" means that end user prices are lower. This is the theory under which big box stores have thrived. There's some merit in it, but clearly we've gone too far. We have a situation where companies are so large (Amazon, e.g.) that they can move markets merely musing about entering. Companies are colluding to keep wages depressed, and this is impossible without broad, unchecked market power. I've been coming across the word "monopsony" a lot recently (single buyer situation, as opposed to single seller). Our labor and antitrust laws aren't designed to handle monopsonies, and they must be updated to correct that. M&A's are a big part of the problem, but that's unlikely to change unless or until Wall st. loses a significant amount of power in DC. I It's difficult to see that on the short term horizon, but I also think that people appear to be waking up to the fact that the financial sector is hypertrophied.