into believing there is competition where there is none It feels like you're validating the original point here. These secret arrangements are not competition

into believing there is competition where there is none It feels like you're validating the original point here. These secret arrangements are not competition and instead consolidation. If market competition did exist, free from illegal practices, the product that provides the most value for a given consumer will win that customer's business. You're instead talking about why anti-competitive practices are bad... Which is why we have the sometimes-inept DOJ.