Every day, we are warned about the power of monopolies, and some concerns are justified. But a look at history confirms that monopolies do not tend to survive all that long.

Large companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple have come to be portrayed as the “enemy” all around the world. The paradox: Almost everyone uses their products and services, but hardly anyone likes the companies behind them. Some concerns are justified, especially regarding the political bias of a company such as Facebook. But most critics who call for stronger government regulation or for monopolies to be broken up tend to overlook the fact that monopoly market positions are not as durable as many people think.