Greta: The system is rigged against you and getting worse

Greta's 'Off the Record' comment to 'On the Record' viewers: Staples and Office Depot want to merge, and monopolies never seem to be good for consumers like you and me

By Greta Van Susteren

Let's all go "Off the Record." The system is rigged against you. And do you know what? It's getting worse.

Remember the local office supply store? If you bought something that didn't work, you could bring it back and get it replaced because the store owner had pride in his shop. Now, we have chains. If we buy a bum product, you stand in line, only be told by a less-than-enthusiastic employees, they can't do anything about it. Tough luck.

But with chains, you don't get the pride and the service. That comes with personal ownership. Which brings me to this.

And as impersonal and as disappointing as chains can be, there is something worse. Monopolies. Because when businesses, even chains, don't have competition, prices go up and wages remain flat since no employee can cross town and work at the other chain. Which brings me to this - Staples and Office Depot want to merge.

The Federal Trade Commission is against it and good for them. We don't need more consumer pain that comes from monopolies. Which brings me to this: Yes, everyone is consumed with the sexier topics, what snarky thing one candidate says about the other. But let's multi-task, let's demand that the 2016 candidates also tell us whether they will commit to a robust antitrust division in their Justice Department to protect us, or will they sell us out to big, big, big, big business. Take a good look at our economy.

Am I right? And that's my "Off the Record" comment tonight.