Comment by gruez

>This is informal collusion between the large supermarket chains, enabled by a long tradition of lack of antitrust enforcement.

But you linked to figures for the PPI, which as the name suggests, is the price charged by producers, not distributors or retailers. It might be evidence of collusion between whoever is making ketchup, but not between the supermarkets stocking them. It's hard to take the rest of your comment seriously given sloppy mistakes like this.

>If running a Chinese SOE well means a promotion in the party apparatus, then that would give some real competition

How's that working out with all the senior party members mysteriously disappearing?

>but US capitalism is delivering only for the billionaire class.

"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest."

In other words, working as intended.