BREAKING: British Regulatory Body Gives Rubber Stamp of Approval to $14 Billion HP-Juniper Megamerger
In a stunning example of crony capitalism, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has effectively given a free pass to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) planned $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, paving the way for one of the biggest corporate power grabs in recent memory.
The CMA, infamous for its willingness to rubber-stamp gargantuan mergers, announced yesterday that it has cleared the acquisition, despite concerns about reduced competition in the tech sector. But why should anyone be surprised? This is the same authority that previously failed to block Microsoft’s $68.7 billion Activision purchase, even when it meant sacrificing the interests of millions of gamers worldwide.
It appears that the CMA’s newfound "concerns" for consumer welfare are nothing more than empty rhetoric, designed to placate angry voters while allowing big businesses to do as they please. After all, the EU had no issue approving the deal just last week, and we all know how robust and independent those regulators are… right?
The writing is on the wall: HPE and Juniper will now proceed to wreak havoc on the tech industry, crushing any lingering competition and cementing their monopoly over the market. And yet, as we speak, millions of taxpayers are footing the bill for an antitrust system that has seemingly given up on its basic responsibility to protect the public interest.
Where’s the accountability? Where’s the scrutiny? The CMA’s willingness to greenlight this mega-deal without so much as a peep of protest raises disturbing questions about the true motives of these bureaucrats and the corporate interests they represent. The people deserve to know how much the CMA has taken from the corporate trough and at whose behest.
Will anything change? Don’t bet on it. The CMA, the EU, and all other self-appointed guardians of the marketplace seem to be more concerned with appearing busy than actually serving the people they’re supposed to serve. HPE and Juniper are rubbing their hands in glee as the ink dries on their golden ticket to dominance.
Now it’s up to the American regulatory body, the Federal Trade Commission, to make a stand against this toxic corporate takeover. Will they bother? Or will they let HP-Juniper march off the battlefield, victorious and unchecked?
Stay tuned for the next thrilling episode in the never-ending saga of "regulatory capture."
