My guest this week is back for his second appearance. He is "Nicholas", a writer over at Orthodox Reflections. Nicholas wrote a very good piece titled, "There is No Free Market or Democracy in America", and he's here to dive into the points he makes in it. Largely, we discuss the three mega-companies that own much of what we know as corporate and governmental America. They are State Street, BlackRock, and Vanguard. The 401(k)s and pensions of millions and millions of ordinary Americans are the key to untold power and influence. The big three asset management firms own almost the entire corporate sector and an increasingly large chunk of the residential real estate market as well. How does it change things when the same management firms own everyone and their competitors? We discuss all this and more. Here's the piece we discuss: Sponsors: Amy Mastrine's art:   Expat Money Summit:   The Podsworth App: Get 50% off your first order at when you use code BUCK50 at checkout! Visit my website:  Donate to the show here:  Audio Production by Podsworth Media: Leave us a review and rating on iTunes! Thanks!