This has zero to do with free markets, giving people credit for entrepreneurship, and employing people. This is about the absolute necessity to ensure fair business practices, ensure level fields of competition, and prevention of monopolies. If you think that capitalism is the best economic system ever devised by humanity, which I do, you will appreciate how essential it is to prevent abuse of that system and thus hand opportunities to its critics. Capitalism is about ‘winning’/achieving with honesty, hard work, and integrity. When it becomes ‘win doing whatever it takes’, it becomes unsustainable and indefensible.
I completely disagree. Bezos gave up a reasonably successful career to join Amazon way back when the internet was young & untested, it was not clear at that point how anyone could ever make money from the internet.
Then he made all the right moves. As far as "fair business practices" has anyone ever forced you to buy something from Amazon? I didn't thing so. No one ever held a gun to my head and said: "Buy only from Amazon" either. 20 years ago DW and I retired and moved to a much lower cost of living area, and Amazon was a big factor in that. We could see that we did not need big city downsides to enjoy the cornucopia of goods available in big cities. Saved us a bundle and our lifestyle has been improved immensely.
If Amazon had attracted competition when it was small, no one would be complaining. But it got big. I still use it for most of our on-line purchases. It may not be the cheapest available, but I have confidence that I am going to get what I order and I can return it if is not as advertised.
If Jeff Bezos getting more money than anyone should ever have is the result of the convenience and value Amazon provides, so be it. Smaller local stores are going to go out of business. This is the way of the world. Cars put farriers out of business too. It was not the end of the world.
And, competition is starting to arise. Walmart, BestBuy, Costco, Home Depot and Lowes all sell online now. We have choices. Plus if I need an obscure part for a rare machine, I can find it from an even more obscure company on the internet. Capitalism wins again.