I can go on and on about the terrible externalities that the international corporations push upon the people of the world. We've got diseased and overcrowded factory farms withs cesspools of sh*t, we've got mountaintop removal mining, massive corporate subsidies and other forms of corporate welfare, a renewed push for nuclear energy, representatives still pushing for offshore drilling, people who rail against the idea of global warming and many many other "flat Earthers" who's actions do little to help themselves. Sure, it'd be nice to have some worthwhile leaders out there, but I can almost guarantee you that not one of them will come from the dumb box. If we want real leaders we're going to have to step up and be one for ourselves. Why are you even turning on the TV and expecting anything other than the cleptocratic views of the plutocracy? I for one have no TV. I don't watch TV in the standard sense. I have a PC and it I do view media of all sorts -- even video. I do not however, sit in front of a pre-selected show that intends to program me with a biased view designed to reinforce the status quo. You should check out adbusters.org TV Turn-off Week. Get away from the TV for a week or a month (or more) and you'll realize the next time you watch TV just how retarded it can be. It's astounding. I haven't had TV for over a year now, and anytime I find myself in the company of a live TV I cannot help but shout at it for the ignorance it perpetuates. Anyways, I'm rambling. Back to the point of your rant. I too want to see changes in the corporate culture. I too want to see a change in the attitude of everyday people. I want people to start demanding change. I want people to find hope in something. But most importantly I want people to act on what they believe in. We have a nation full of fools who believe that democracy means the free market and that these two ideals go hand-in-hand, but nothing could get much further than the truth. The monied interests and the properties and powers they've accumilated use their powers and wealth to perpetuate their accumilation of wealth and power. They'll use most anything at their disposal -- misinformation, manipulation, lobbyists, threats, terrorism, war, sanctions, loans, media propaganda, and more -- to guard their wealth and to protect their future endeavors to accumilate wealth. They have and will continue to dilute your education. They will continue to shape history and repress knowledge. Anything in the pursuit of money.

While most people would never notice it in their daily lives, if we could just get the building standards portion of the Waxman-Markey Bill (AKA 'The Climate Bill) passed, it would be a huge step forward for the Nation. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2454 If you take the time to read the bill, it has an amazing amount of 'no duh' stuff in it. Section 1, Subtitle C is all about electric vehicles, plug in electrification, diesel emissions and NG vehicle emissions. Subtitle E is all about the Smart Grid. I believe the most important and least controversial section is Title II - Energy Efficiency, most particularly Section 201 - building codes & Sec. 202, building retrofit programs. Everyone should take the time to at least look over the table of contents and pick out parts that they fully support, then write (as in actual paper and pen) to your local Senator. Tell them to support this bill or they'll lose your vote in the fall. It wouldn't take very long until each Senator to take a hard, second look at the legislation.