In the OP, some small fish were colluding. The only unregulated monopolies I can think of (Google search, Apple App Store, Monsanto, Boeing) are very large and powerful, and they'll certainly have many national politicians in their pockets.
So I don't find it odd that large monopolies aren't busted very often. It's a predictable outcome of a money-driven political system.
People frequently confuse price-fixing with monopolies. There is nothing illegal about having a monopoly. What is illegal is forming cartels and collusion to create restraint/constraint of trade [0]
Patents are an example of government granted monopolies (on an idea). The government also grants monopolies to certains businesses or organizations [1]. Government is itself a monopoly of sorts (they don't offer or allow you a choice in Law Enforcement provider).
Boeing may be a domestic Monopoly, but only because the size, scope and IP of the organization is hard to replicate. What would have been illegal if they had colluded with Communication Sat providers or NASA to prevent Musk from starting SpaceX. There is no evidence I can see that would prevent a sufficiently motivated entrepreneur from competing with them in the Aerospace Defense sector. Politicians are equal opportunity providers, they accept brides (donations) from anyone with a big wallet ;)
Well it's more like private security. People don't pay much attention to this mainly because stealing is bad in most people's eyes. People are not so concerned if it's actually legal or not to detain someone and basically blackmail them.
> There is nothing illegal about having a monopoly. What is illegal is forming cartels and collusion to create restraint/constraint of trade.
That sounds like a description of a somewhat sane legal system, but it's not a description of United States "antitrust" law. See, for instance, United Staes v. Alcoa.
I guess if your point of comparison is "Google search, Apple App Store, Monsanto, Boeing" the poster market on Amazon is "small fish", but this guy was the former director of Art.com (fired because of the price-fixing investigation, I take it?) - almost certainly a multimillion dollar business.
I was mostly thinking of the ISPs, who actively try to destroy competition, and are charging rates that would be absurd in other (competitive) markets. Other monopolies will probably emerge in the near future.
In the OP, some small fish were colluding. The only unregulated monopolies I can think of (Google search, Apple App Store, Monsanto, Boeing) are very large and powerful, and they'll certainly have many national politicians in their pockets.
So I don't find it odd that large monopolies aren't busted very often. It's a predictable outcome of a money-driven political system.