Monopoly and competition

We rarely experience the suffocating problems brought on by monopolization of markets in the vegetable business.  If someone comes up with a trendy new product, there are soon many competitors on the market with slight variations of said product.   Many of these variations are actually better than the original and most are cheaper.  There are few giants in the produce business and the ones who qualify for that category are constantly looking over their shoulders.  The era where a United Fruit Company could dictate the leadership of "banana republics" in Central America is long gone.  Perhaps the experience of this industry should be used to guide regulators when they decide if Comcast should be allowed to buy Time Warner cable systems.  The new company would be by far the largest cable company in the US with a monopoly in many areas of the country.   How anyone can argue this situation is good for consumers is beyond me.  If you live in an area dominated by one of the cable giants, you have little or no choice about what you are offered and what you pay.  Until or unless satellite systems or wireless broadband become more widespread, the public needs protection from Comcast and its ilk.