Regardless of what we do on issues like corporate-lineage “truth in labeling,” we need to become a good deal more explicit and focused about what we want from our economic system—particularly when it comes to creating an environment where new enterprises can gain a foothold.

Preventing new competitors from being frozen out by a handful of established giants benefits us in more ways than just making price collusion more difficult.

To begin with, a more open economic environment gives more people a chance at being entrepreneurs and innovators, rather than just employees whose lives are subject to the vagaries of organizational politics.

It also gives our economy more resilience to deal with the inevitable stresses and turbulence of a competitive environment.