How 10 companies control nearly everything you buy

[davidn3600]

It's called in the article, "an illusion of choice." And I agree 100%.

Everything is so connected than when you think you are taking your business elsewhere, you might not be...

http://www.policymic.com/articles/71255/10-corporations-control-almost-everything-you-buy-this-chart-shows-how

[Kurovski]

1. K&R

This is mostly pre-packaged stuff, but even produce is closing in...and Monsanto would love to literally control it all.

Makes me love my little veg patch even more. here in my waning years, as the world goes *poof*


Naaahhh, just kiddin', it'll be fine. You kids'll do fine...

[hunter]

2. Where's the chart for beer?

[Art_from_Ark]

3. BeerCo controls everything

[trublu992]

4. I'm really proud of myself. There isn't much on here I buy

maybe KFC but overall I'm out of the loop.

[jtuck004]

5. Not as much as you might think. A lot of what you buy is made from the same stuff they use,

because the market is tailored to them, because they pay the bills.

It's the consumer who pays they bills, of course, and in theory makes the decision, but things are all fucked up now, and the corps are taking more money out of workers pockets and putting it in their own than they have in a while, so they have much of the money. So the corps are making the decisions as to what and how you buy from them, but also weighing heavily on, and in some cases making the decisions about what you can buy from other places. Not always, but in far greater number than I think most people have ever stopped to look for.

Just sayin' it goes well beyond just where you shop or with whom.

[Armstead]

9. Got us by the short and curlies

[MrScorpio]

6. We're driving straight towards an Omni Consumer Products world, aren't we?

http://omniconsumerproductscorporation.com

[Armstead]

7. Great job. I hope this wakes up those who think everything is just ducky

[Armstead]

8. Just one problem with this chart on the media

It lists Comcast as being under GE. Not true, at least now. Comcst bought NBC from GE.

So Comcast should now be shown as in the top tier.

[Aerows]

10. I drink Luzianne Iced Tea

It's family owned, and is delicious. I brew it every morning and take it with me. I enjoy it all day long.

For coffee, there is Community, also an area product and not part of a conglomerate.

[laundry_queen]

11. Unregulated capitalism always leads to monopoly

Always. So we shouldn't be surprised at this. The question is...what can we do about it? Everything I can think of seems so tiny and impossible.

[Aerows]

12. Support as many locally

produced products as possible.

[laundry_queen]

14. Oh, I do

It just feels so small. I also try to buy handmade online (like at Etsy) as much as I can. Or I make it myself (I'm crafty). For food, I mostly cook from scratch, I garden in the summer, in the winter I buy organic when I can...I look for small Canadian food companies to buy from...farmer's markets, craft sales etc.
But I look at that web of companies and realize just how much of their crap I still buy and it makes me sick. It's the system that has to change.

[Aerows]

15. I know, but for now

it's the best we can do. At least you aren't giving them more money.

[reformist2]

13. More and more I avoid the aisles of the grocery store.

Most of the nutritious stuff (vegetables, dairy, meat) aren't in the aisles, and even better, don't have as many national brand-names on them!

[Armstead]

16. This shouldn't be down here....Get back up to the top

[BelgianMadCow]

17. I concur n/t

[Rex]

18. Plutocracies work that way and if they are successful, cause huge inequality between rich and poor.

Exactly as we see going on today in America(tm).

[hfojvt]

19. Kraft used to be owned by Phillip Morris

but they sold it.

[Armstead]

20. These are little out of date.....It's gotten worse

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. kick. important info

[Initech]

22. That's what happens with deregulated capitalism.

[Earth_First]

23. No, no, no...this gives us more choice!

[davidpdx]

24. That's a good list, but there is a mistake I believe

Comcast is the major company NOT GE. In fact GE is selling it's remaining shares of NBC to Comcast. It should be Comcast that is up at the top instead of GE.