It seems like it’s been a while since I’ve heard the word “choice” used as a selling point for a company. This past weekend I went to Gwinnett Place Mall where several storefronts were closed to make way for new storefronts. Covering each of them was a big sign that said, “Simon Malls: More Choices.” Nevermind that Simon now owns six malls in the metro area: Gwinnett Place, Lenox Square, Mall of Georgia, Northlake, Phipps Plaza and Town Center. Thankfully, for those who actually like shopping in malls — I don’t — there are fourteen regional malls (as listed in the AJC’s guide to malls). That means Simon owns forty three percent of the malls in the metro area. As aggressive as Simon’s marketing and promotions campaigns are, I can only imagine that their strategy is to increase their share even further.

As I walked around the mall, I spotted the Waldenbooks and decided to venture in. While I can never expect too much from a mall bookstore, I still felt a bit of a shock when I saw the philosophy section. All the books I saw there were books about Buddhism, Tao, Ayn Rand and Machiavelli. Somehow it was fitting that a bookstore set in a mall that benefits more from a less-informed consuming public would sell books that encourage its customers to feel at one with their own greedy backstabbing selves.

Wal-Mart’s commercials, meanwhile, have started to steer away from talking up their low prices and toward a more wholesome message relating to their values. Valuing employees. Valuing customers. With a quarter of a billion dollars in annual revenue and nearly three billion dollars socked away in the bank, they are the largest retailer. If they want to continue to be the top player, they know where they have to focus: keep the business strategy as price leader, despite what the commercials may claim.

A Senate report on gas prices back in 2002 details, among other things, the chilling effect consolidation has on the price we pay at the pump. I should take this moment to give a shoutout to my poor fellow netizens who had to endure a mass email calling for a boycott of those evil companies that charge more for gas. This comes with a reminder: if you want lower gas prices, demand less gas.

More recently, Europe slapped Microsoft on the wrist for behaving like a bad monopoly. The fine: five hundred million euros. Nevermind that at last count, they have nearly six and a half billion dollars in the bank. A report from the Stanford School of Business reveals, meanwhile, why Microsoft charges such a small price for Windows and so much for Office. Under current market conditions (especially unregulated), Microsoft could get away with charging $1,800 for Windows. It all goes to show that in order to force Microsoft to truly innovate and create a more stable operating system, hit them where it counts. Open up Office document formats so that other development firms can more easily create their own office productivity software.

Speaking of values, price leadership and monopoly, if the Republicans want to win, they have only one issue to focus on: taxes. With so many voters having such a myopic viewpoint, patriotism and war should take a back seat to taxes. Forget about good government and good policy setting. Taxes are all the taxpayers care about. After all, as Rupert Murdoch has already pointed out, nobody really cares about freedom. Or, if they do, nobody realizes the true price of freedom.