Time Warner merger is that AOL's acquisition of Time Warner's TV cable holdings should mean a cease-fire in AOL's effort to get government to choose sides among Internet competitors. For over a year now, AOL has been trying to convince local governments to force TV cable systems to allow AOL to use the systems as if AOL had helped to develop them. Time Warner merger demonstrates that AOL now acknowledges that competition between companies should take place in the marketplace, not with government intervention.
Government intervention causes harm to consumers.
Take, for example, government foot-dragging and possible favoritism in the approval of technology that would allow individuals to purchase and affix postage through their home or business computer. The technology also keeps a log of postage use by category, a boon for accountants, and figures postage amounts more accurately and easily, a great benefit for those who ship a high volume. Unfortunately, suspicions have arisen that the government is playing favorites among the companies vying to bring this technology to the market. Such favoritism, if true, could delay the arrival of this technology to desktops and, in this or any other field, can have the effect of driving companies out of a particular market. It can result in a reduction in research and development dollars dedicated to the invention, development and marketing of new products, slowing technological growth.