In a society carefully groomed to be materialistic, where people are bombarded with advertising which promotes ‘consumerism’, and where profits are valued more than people or the environment, the outcome is inevitable.

While “family values”, gay marriage, contraception, small government, no universal health insurance, spreading freedom and democracy are in the headlines and diverting attention, attracting the energy of Tea Party types, in the meantime the true powers that be are making money. And more money, as that is the true agenda for the country.

They say, for instance, a balanced budget should not come at the price of not buying oil, weapons, pharmaceuticals or keeping banks afloat.

The plutocracy is pretty much here. Even Obama knows what he has to do to get re-elected.

Meanwhile, you keep your own pipelines flowing.

Think Moscow, Paris, London, Tokyo, all of those.

In our country, the District of Columbia has only one function, and most of the people who congregate around it are not businessmen.

Think of the all the many large cities and wealthy places in America that didn’t make that list.