Cory Doctorow disagrees (1) that the consumer welfare theory of monopolies is valid and (2) that monopolies which dominate industries are economically desirable [0]. I found it interesting to realize that most modern antitrust theory - that consumer harm is the only reasonable basis for government intervention in monopolies - appears to lack historical basis in the law. For instance, the consumer welfare standard severely downplays the importance of free and fair competition among businesses as a means for class advancement.

> This is the “consumer welfare” standard, a theory as economically bankrupt as it is historically unsupportable. Let’s be clear here: The plain language of America’s antitrust laws make it very clear that Congress wanted to block monopolies because it worried about the concentration of corporate power, not just the abuse of that power. This is inarguable: Think of John Sherman stalking the floor of the Senate, railing against autocrats of trade, declaiming that “we should not endure a King over the production, transportation, and sale of the necessaries of life.” These are not the statements of a man who liked most monopolies and merely sought to restrain the occasional monopolist who lost sight of his duty to make life better for the public.

[0]: https://archive.ph/aTv47