Odd Lots A Top Antitrust Lawyer on How Increased Competition Could Fight Inflation
Jan 10, 2022
Craig Seebald, a partner at Vinson & Elkins and a leading antitrust expert, dives into how corporate power influences inflation. He discusses the historical context of antitrust laws and their role in stabilizing prices. The conversation covers supply chain challenges and the government's potential actions against monopolies, especially in the shipping and trucking industries. Seebald emphasizes how increased competition could help combat inflation, reshaping corporate behavior for the better.
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The Egg Conspiracy
- Tracy Alloway shares a conspiracy theory about Lyndon B. Johnson, inflation, and eggs.
- Johnson supposedly told the Surgeon General to issue alerts about cholesterol in eggs to lower demand and fight inflation.
Non-Monetary Inflation
- Joe Weisenthal highlights that inflation isn't solely a monetary phenomenon.
- Factors like the availability of used cars and semiconductors impact inflation, suggesting non-monetary influences.
Antitrust Explained
- Craig Seebald explains that high prices alone aren't antitrust violations.
- Antitrust law targets actions causing higher prices, like price-fixing, monopolies, and anti-competitive mergers.