Agreed. The problem we face is that too many want to conflate socialism with progressivism no matter how deep the evidence is.
Sinclair's reasoning about the meat packers and the power grabs by the progressives is no different than what we have today with those (including people who call themselves conservative) who want to put government in charge of Big Tech, its no different than banks and other organizations embracing ESG scores, its no different than any number of other basically similar situations. And, perhaps ironically(though really, not so much) Mark Zuckerberg's rather pathetic begging and graveling "please regulate me" might as well make him "big meat" 2020.
Regulation favors big business, they don't fear it. It's certainly not a punishment. We have now 120 years of progressivism to prove it.
But proof be damned if nobody has the will to even look at it.
This is a terrible problem with kind of, no solution. And it's a sizeable piece of why the progressives continue to win. Progressives have no opposition.
"Liberal Fascism is a must read for all Free Market Jacksonian's. Too bad it's author is a neo-con jerk."
For anybody who wants to read what you're referring to, it's from pages 291-292 of the book. It is one of the more weighty sections of the book in understanding how dangerous progressivism is - how they do what they do - how they are masters of selling it - how progressives come out victorious, etc.
It also highlights how progressives hold history by the throat. The 1906 food and drug act is a huge scam and a hoax.