[thecavemaster]

How about government greed/power as an option? There seems to be no limit to government thirst for money and power and we cannot legally opt out by refusing to buy what they are selling us. For example, if you believe that health insurance companies are gouging you, you can shop for a better policy or even take your chances by doing without insurance without being fined or jailed for your decision. Try doing that after the government sinks its claws deeper into our healthcare system.

The government does not create any wealth in our society - it is a consumer of wealth generated in the private sector. When the government takes more wealth out of the economy than absolutely necessary society as a whole is left poorer as a result. Greedy, arrogant politicians show far more blatant disregard for the general public's welfare than corporations.

Government is just people, men and women. "Politicians" can be just as self-serving and greedy as any man or woman can be. The human race produces a Hitler; it produces a Ghandi, an Abraham Lincoln. One of "governments" chief tasks is to restrain corrupt human nature. One of the chief dangers of government is that it is made up of people with corrupt human natures, thus a system of checks and balances on power was and is very wise. Enron executives stole the pony and closed the show. I think corporations show a love of money above people that the government doesn't match.