But how do they establish near or total monopoly? By taking control of government in the way that previous taxi monopolies did. First you extract permission to do what you want (or the ability to survive doing what you want), then you eliminate permission / ability for competitors.
This is the path for anything to become an apex predator, right? Then apex predators inevitably lose their edge and they get destroyed by a Minnesotan dentist or invading hordes or, or, or.
So the link is apt because if one can intelligently design a new species, it has a better chance of changing the environment to its own ends than one of many of an existing species adapted to the status quo.
See also: http://zerotoonebook.com