I don't follow your logical jump from (3) to (4). Cost-cutting is always unpleasant, and never done just for fun. Typically companies cut costs when they're fe

I don't follow your logical jump from (3) to (4). Cost-cutting is always unpleasant, and never done just for fun. Typically companies cut costs when they're feeling squeezed, i.e. they have to. A company with a "mini monopoly" would not feel squeezed - quite the opposite.