It sounds like the only companies you are familiar with are ones large enough to capture markets, bribe politicians, and write regulations in their favor.

Well, small and mid-size businesses are easy to miss if you work from home or live in a big city. They don't wield anything like the kind of power you describe. But they account for most of the US GDP and private sector jobs. You may want to stop and consider the value of multi-generational family-owned businesses.