Letter: Government has important role in economy

The commentary of [Ball State economists Cecil Bohanon and Nick Curott] is always interesting, but their latest piece on the market [Market behemoths aren’t as entrenched as you think, Jan. 8], studiously ignores the important role of government in our economy.

AT&T no longer has 100% of the long-distance market because its expensive monopoly was broken up by a federal court in an anti-trust suit brought by the federal government. Look at all the new competition and money savings following that. IBM avoided an anti-trust breakup after it changed its sales practices under threat of a similar suit. The columnists’ analysis was woefully incomplete by their deliberate failure to recognize a market force (our anti-trust laws) that protects consumers and competitors for the benefit of our economy.

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Jerry Williams