The stability of human society rests on a foundation of trust. History has taught us that this trust is fragile and recent events have reinforced that lesson. The environmental tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico and the ongoing global financial crisis demonstrate that the power brokers of society, fueled by greed, have little interest in the welfare of the common man.
Conservative Republicans, while keen to regulate our personal lives, have long been opposed to government regulation of industry and commerce, arguing that such laws stifle entrepreneurship and economic growth. They claim that market forces will weed out the corrupt and the incompetent, ensuring a vibrant economy that will boost profits and create jobs. In light of recent events, that argument seems especially hollow.
Our trust in powerful corporations and in the government that is expected to regulate their activity is wearing thin. Close ties between the captains of industry, their lobbyists and government officials underlies the environmental catastrophe that envelops the Gulf of Mexico. The future welfare of natural ecosystems, and of human society, will depend upon efforts to restore that trust.
