Monopolies control a vast majority of the market.
Price gauging can be done by anyone who "overpriced" their offers, be it a mogul or a nobody.
Free markets are an automatic good. Freedom is superior to slavery. Monopolies are known since ancient times to be harmful if they eliminate competition or corner a market.
(IFF) "free-markets" = "good" (THEN) how do you justify breaking up a monopoly ?
under what moral principle is it impermissible to "eliminate competition" ?
Based on how much it hinders Freedom of The Market. A free market implies that people are free to trade, yet they aren't free to subjugate the market to their will.
you can't protect your personal idea of "free to trade"
without restricting the freedom of individual actors
I'd argue you can't have freedom if you're subjugated by monopolies.
so you have to be "less-free" in order to be "more-free" ?
how do you thread that needle ?
Putting limits on the market share one entity can exert is not making anyone less free. Consider it a tax, that's what it represents and that's how it behaves. You can enjoy the free market, you just can't control it.
what if innovation creates a new market
how do you propose someone in government
control how popular a brand or product becomes ?
By how much it controls. If it cannot exercise control then it's irrelevant how much market share they have. What is your major issue with denouncing such immoral and unjust Subjugation by control over an entire market sector? Do you truly believe that monopolies are Victimized, like you argue?