The Platforms
by Danno Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Facebook. These are 5 great American companies, technology-driven companies, that have grown into leadership positions in our modern way of life. They are big, they are smart, and they are flat-out dominant. So big, they are the 5 most valuable publicly traded companies in the world. So smart, they know more about you than your spouse. So dominant, in fact, that several politicians and academics have begun suggesting, discussing, and proposing ways in which these companies should be broken up. I use all of these companies' services, and I find it fascinating. Our anti-trust laws are there to promote and protect competition. Generally, the theory is that this competition keeps sellers trying to offer products and services to customers on terms that are favorable. If any one company becomes too dominant or finds themselves as the only remaining player, in theory they can then increase pricing as much as they want because there is no