Sadly, that result is not even considered “valuable” by AEI types whose only measurement of what is “good” or “bad” are the profits of corporate management. The lives of American citizens do not fit into their perverse calculus that does not include people, only profits.

The hidden costs that result in their profit - the "transfer of wealth", if you will (h/t to the Anonymous-tax-Scrooge of Threads Past) - are not only extracted from the health and well-being of the citizens, but also from that of the planet as a whole.

The short-sightedness of this strategy will come to roost, since it is based on casually destroying those things that are necessary for all to survive in a finite world. The question is whether or not a critical mass of people will be able to change this path before it is too late to save the entire biosphere.

In the meantime they continue to wage their war on the rest of the plebeian masses because they can't see past the mountain of green they are amassing to the cliff on the other side.

(1) You state that "Our largest telecommunication corporations reap huge profits by brazenly violating numerous, long-standing federal laws." Both of the facts stated in that sentence are true. However, connecting them with the word "by" posits a causal link between the violations and the profits. So far as I know, there is no such link.

Glenn has addressed this:

Nacchio -- who was convicted earlier this year of insider trading for selling his Qwest shares with insider knowledge that the company was about to lose substantial value -- is attempting to prove that, at the time he sold his shares, he anticipated that Qwest would receive highly lucrative government contracts (for surveillance and other programs) that were being negotiated almost immediately upon Bush's inauguration in 2001 -- months before the 9/11 attacks (the bulk of those projects was ultimately awarded to AT&T, Verizon and others).

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/10/15/amnesty/

Not only did those corporations "reap huge profits by brazenly violating numerous, long-standing federal laws", but those who "brazenly" defied them, based on the illegality of their actions, ended up prosecuted, convicted and jailed.

Cracker oligarchy?

Have you been spying on (half) my family? ;->

I was working my way through another chapter of Bob Altemyer's The Authoritarians last night, when I came across a nugget of hope. He was talking about Christian fundamentalism, but I think some of what he says can be extrapolated to the population at large and its changing perceptions of the oligarchy:

Christian fundamentalism has three great enemies in the struggle to retain its children, judging by the stories its apostates tell: weaknesses in its own teachings, science and hypocrisy.

We clearly see the rot in the structure and the hypocrisy and outright lies being used to shore it up. That awareness is spreading.

I can only conclude that the average voter, somehow, identifies very strongly with this elite group for whom justice does not apply. They imagine themselves to be aligned with this establishment group. Aligned politically, socially, economically, and intellectually.

One of America's strongest and most persistent myths is that of the "self-made" man. The idea that if one only "works hard enough for long enough" s/he, too, will finally be rewarded with unfettered admission to this exclusive club.

People are led to focus on the shiny wonderfulness of 'the American dream'. The fact that fences and gates have been erected against them and outrageous dues are required for entry remains conveniently hidden from view.

shooter 000 is rumored to be a troll diabetic who wears plastic candy-stripe leotards.

Alomost too easy...

Come on Paul, the brown reporters don't count. You know that.

What is an extremist belief system? term is left undefined and open to many interpretations, socialism, anarchism, communism, nationalism, liberalism, etc. that would serve to undermine expressions that don’t fit within the allowable areas of debate. A direct action led by any group that blocks traffic can be looked upon as being coercive.

SEC. 899A (2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION - Anyone want to bet those who foment violence toward women's health clinics won't be targeted?

SEC. 899B. (3) - that would be Glenn. And us.

unzipyourmind, can you share the Counterspin link with us please? I would like to read their take on this. Thanks.

I predict Sh**ter will show up shortly to chastise us for being on hallucinogens.

I think you're probably both right.

Even Superman had a day job. ;->

...(whispering) I think Shooter's got a crush on me.

It's just like that little boy in 8th grade who kept pulling my ponytail. Well, except for the rouge on both ends, that is.

I think it's kinda cute. Here's a theme song suggestion for him. ;->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLjwVTVnpNI

There's more than enough mandrill to go around. Even if the candy-stripe plastic is a bit off-putting.

WT - unfortunately, I don't actually own any knitting needles at the moment. But I can be quite dangerous with a gardening trowel, and the banana trees do appreciate a good dose of fertilizer....

Anonymust - to provide warnings that costumers should be aware of the total amounts of NSAIDs they consume

I think you may have inadvertently hit on part of Shooter's problem here. But I don't think it's NSAIDS he's been consuming.

Ok, your thesis is that government is evil when Republicans run it and wonderful when Democrats run it.

So, he was just pulling our leg when he wrote this?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/09/23/feinstein/index.html

Or maybe this?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/12/17/reid/index.html

They'd do well to remember some of Bloomberg's rather insensitive and sexist comments toward a pregnant employee, "Get rid of it," as I recall.

...but apparently it's only his choice that matters.