A lot of people like to chart their your destiny. This is a very good thing in todays society and makes for diverse range of products and services to choose from. There's even a fair amount of competition in industries that don't have large barriers of entry.
Big companies all started from scratch. Once they have economies of scale that alone will give them dominance in some fields. When they do a risk accessment they find there dominance is not alway assured. To protect profits and shareholder other barriers are sot out. Regulations and laws are one good way to do it. With all the laws and regulations in the Auto, Mobile phone, and Utilities competition is pretty well stymied. This leads to a lot of crownizm in all three layers of Gov't.
Another trick predatory proprietary. Why doesn't a 14" GM wheel fit on a Ford product. By adding computers to a lot of the components brakes, transmission, engine etc they are holding the consume hostage. You are pretty well stuck with what ever the dealer wants to charge. Independent shops had to lobby Gov't to get the codes generated by these computers.
Built in obsolescence is another profit center. GM petition the Gov't to have a shorter life cycle for there cars and the Gov't agree with them because it created job's. I guess they are both in agreement that you need crappier car's.
