To quote Milton Friedman:

> “Government has three primary functions. It should provide for military defense of the nation. It should enforce contracts between individuals. It should protect citizens from crimes against themselves or their property. When government-- in pursuit of good intentions tries to rearrange the economy, legislate morality, or help special interests, the cost come in inefficiency, lack of motivation, and loss of freedom. Government should be a referee, not an active player.”

(from https://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Freedom-Anniversary-Milton...)

Specifically addressing antitrust:

> My own views about the antitrust laws have changed greatly over time. When I started in this business, as a believer in competition, I was a great supporter of antitrust laws; I thought enforcing them was one of the few desirable things that the government could do to promote more competition. But as I watched what actually happened, I saw that, instead of promoting competition, antitrust laws tended to do exactly the opposite, because they tended, like so many government activities, to be taken over by the people they were supposed to regulate and control. And so over time I have gradually come to the conclusion that antitrust laws do far more harm than good and that we would be better off if we didn't have them at all, if we could get rid of them. But we do have them.

> Under the circumstances, given that we do have antitrust laws, is it really in the self-interest of Silicon Valley to set the government on Microsoft? Your industry, the computer industry, moves so much more rapidly than the legal process, that by the time this suit is over, who knows what the shape of the industry will be. Never mind the fact that the human energy and the money that will be spent in hiring my fellow economists, as well as in other ways, would be much more productively employed in improving your products. It's a waste! But beyond that, you will rue the day when you called in the government. From now on the computer industry, which has been very fortunate in that it has been relatively free of government intrusion, will experience a continuous increase in government regulation. Antitrust very quickly becomes regulation. Here again is a case that seems to me to illustrate the suicidal impulse of the business community.

(from http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/po...)

As a start, take some economics courses, intro Micro and Macro. (Check https://www.coursetalk.com/ https://www.class-central.com/ )

Actually the first book I'd recommend would be The Worldly Philosophers, a readable history of economics

https://www.amazon.com/Worldly-Philosophers-Economic-Thinker...

A couple of more right-leaning books - Hayek, The Road to Serfdom https://www.amazon.com/Road-Serfdom-Fiftieth-Anniversary/dp/...

Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom https://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Freedom-Anniversary-Milton...

Less right-leaning

The Marx-Engels Reader https://www.amazon.com/Marx-Engels-Reader-Second-Karl-Marx/d...