Imagine, if you will, a world where the streets in this country are privately owned by the country’s shipping companies. In our more modern example, Let’s say your particular street is owned by a company called FredEx.

Now let’s say you want to order a CD from a far-away retailer. Realizing that it owns the street in front of your house and that few other options exist, FredEx chooses to triple the shipping rate it charges to deliver your CD. And why shouldn’t it? FredEx knows it has the best delivery path available to your house, if not an outright monopoly.

Sure, you could always choose to have your CD delivered by your postman, Mo Dem, but his is a walking route so it’s painfully slow. On the other hand, you could ship your CD by the “competing” shipper, U Pay Us, but FredEx still gets its cut for its road.

What once looked like competition is anything but. You’re trapped.
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