Sorry if this sounds like it's OT, but I really don't think it is. Please bear with me for a bit.
I remember when the US switched to unleaded gasoline. An extremely expensive move. Cars needed to change, pumps needed to be changed, gasoline formulations needed to change.
All of this to reduce the levels of lead in the environment (which IS harmful to children, particularly, but to adults as well). IIRC, catalytic converters also became required at the same time, to reduce airborne pollution from automobiles. Two BM players (the oil industry and the auto industry) both were forced to make major changes, in order for their products to be safer for the environment. This was not an easy fight, but it was the good fight, and we as a nation had the courage and strength to make it happen. Money did not override the health concerns.
(BTW, I emphasize "as a nation". I did absolutely nothing to push for unleaded gasoline; I wasn't even old enough to vote, never mind care!)
I remember (barely; I was quite young, but it was discussed much in my family) about the Civil Rights act. Our leaders took the stand that racism was not acceptable, despite acknowledging that "We just lost the South for a generation". (And whether or not that phrase was actually used, it was clearly the foreseen downside of the decision). Brave, forward-thinking, hard politics. Implemented because it was the right thing to do.
Not to mention the Sherman act, the Clayton act, etc. All these were laws that were passed to protect the public, in the face of extremely wealthy and powerful opponents, with major political clout.
Where has that spirit gone? That courage and conviction? Can anyone possibly imagine any of the above decisions actually happening today? EPA exempts BO from any disclosure or regulation for fracking........
Sorry, I know in the first line of this post I promised to bring this around to something relevant to the topic, but after going down this train of thought, I'm having a hard time getting back there. Perhaps what I'm trying to get to is that our elected officials used to be able to make unpopular decisions because of things they believed in; now government seems just to be a "one dollar one vote" thing. Whether it's BG, BP, BT, BO, it all boils down to the same thing: BM. (Except that it smells a lot worse than a real BM)
