Ahh, then you misunderstand me. I have no faith in corporations "caring for our interests" either as they have no reason to do so. ;)

The laws of economics do not require a leap of "faith" they are called "laws" for a reason and we can objectively observe their effects throughout time. Free markets encouraging competition have led to liberty and prosperity. Central control leads to tyranny and poverty. What we have now is neither, it is a corrupt hybrid of regulatory control and political favoritism frequently referred to as crony capitalism. The cure for this is not "more regulation" as that will continue the consolidation of power in those "too big to fail". Instead the solution is less central control of the minutia of business regulation and a return to the original idea of governance providing a level playing field, supplying the referees and getting out of the way of the innovators.

The proposed financial "reform" bill currently being debated will make the situation of the last 2 years permanent. TARP will be official policy rather than a one-time "emergency" measure (AIG, Citi, etc). Federal backing of "too big to fail" institutions will be made explicit rather than implicit (think Fannie/Freddie pre-2008). In addition the Treasury will legally have the ability to seize or force the sale of any company (not just financial) it deems a systemic risk (think GM, Merril, etc).

All in the name of "reform". Look to our deficit and ask yourself, should we really institutionalize the ideas that have brought us here?

Note : Greece has been making headlines over the past few months due to it's deficit and debt levels.
Greek budget deficit v. GDP for fiscal 2009 = 13.6% (possibly as high as 14.1%)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=aUi3XLUwIIVA&pid=20601087

US budget deficit v. GDP for fiscal 2009 = 9.91% (Up 211% year over year)
Projected US budget deficit v. GDP for fiscal 2010 = 10.64%
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_deficit_chart.html

tick...tick...tick...

>You misunderstand me. I am not a stereotypical "we know what's good for you" liberal. We share more views than you may suspect. What I do not share is your faith in corporations. They do not care for our interests, and have little reason to do so.
>
>
>>I have zero interest in "what is best for us" as that kind of thinking leads to tyranny.
>>
>>>Your faith in free markets to do what is best for us is truly touching.
>>>
>>>>Free markets depend on truth telling. Prices must reflect the valuations of consumers; interest rates must be reliable guides to entrepreneurs allocating capital across time; and a firm's accounts must reflect the true value of the business. Rather than truth telling, we are becoming an economy of liars. The cause is straightforward: crony capitalism.
>>>>...
>>>>Distorted prices and interest rates no longer serve as accurate indicators of the relative importance of goods. Crony capitalism ensures the special access of protected firms and industries to capital. Businesses that stumble in the process of doing what is politically favored are bailed out. That leads to moral hazard and more bailouts in the future. And those losing money may be enabled to hide it by accounting chicanery.
>>>>
>>>>If we want to restore our economic freedom and recover the wonderfully productive free market, we must restore truth-telling on markets. That means the end to price-distorting subsidies, which include artificially low interest rates. No one admits to preferring crony capitalism, but an expansive regulatory state undergirds it in practice.
>>>>
>>>>Piling on more rules and statutes will not produce something different than it has in the past. Reliance on affirmative principles of truth-telling in accounting statements and a duty of care would be preferable. Deregulation is not some kind of libertarian mantra but an absolute necessity if we are to exit crony capitalism.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704508904575192430373566758.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h