Finally, some concern about monopolies

So, suddenly we are concerned about monopolies again? Throughout U.S. history, some companies have become so big and powerful they have been labeled monopolies, and in some cases they were shut down or the laws were changed. That came to mind yesterday with news that the federal government announced it is suing to prevent a possible merger in the airline industry between Spirit and JetBlue. The fear is that fewer airlines mean fewer choices and higher prices for consumers. Although it has hardly been consistent, the government has stepped in to prevent monopolies before. The breakup of Ma Bell comes to mind, as does the dissolving of Standard Oil, which at one point controlled 90% of the oil in the U.S. and became the most profitable company in the world. But sometimes the government turns a blind eye to monopolies. How many beer companies are left? Not many. Anheuser Busch controls about 45% of the U.S. market. Amazon, Meta and Google all seem to have monopolies in their respective fields. And of course ask any Taylor Swift fan about the monopoly that is Ticketmaster. It is good that our government is protecting consumers by working to break up monopolies, but their efforts seem inconsistent at best.