The reason the free market doesn't seem like it could work is because you don't think in the correct timeframes. Every monopoly falls eventually as competitors start innovating, competing, and nagging at the foundations. The corruption of the monopolistic company becomes mode widespread, and they start bleeding business. You have to be patient and trust people to work out the issues. When there's no government we can rely on to handle things for us, it forces us to organize. Otherwise there is no incentive.