If looked at from a macro economic sense it's both reasonable and prudent. Over regulation stifles competition because it's harder for the "little guy" to even get in the game, much less build an organization to comply with stuff that doesn't serve the customer need directly. The strongest of those in any given market segment eliminate what competition there is by absorbing them thus giving them better "control" of that market segment. Smart guys like Warren Buffett have been doing it for quite a while...........makes his political preferences make more sense as well.