that's progress

So, let me get this straight. Almost since he got into office, Bush has done everything in his power to underfund the EPA, undercut their existing legislation, and enacted powder-puff, feel-good, political capitalistic bullshit (everyone remember "Clean Skies"? yeah? Remember how the critics said that it wasn't even going as far as the Clean Air Act would go if it were enforced?). Then, they actually nudge standards up a bit, not as far as they should go, give counties an extraordinarily lenient timeline to comply (when many still haven't complied with 80's-era regulations), and label it progress.

That's life!

Oh, and when it's not "progress" per se, then it's called the business cycle (as if it were as natural as geese migration). Companies consolidate to broaden horizons, expand opportunities, diversify their portfolio. Then they consolidate to focus on core values, spinning off businesses. Then new businesses start up, either growing fast in the vacuum left by consolidation or being eaten by the bigger corporations. It's all cyclical, and it's all artificial, and it has about the same intrinsic value as the fashion cycle (bell-bottoms today, corporate mega-banks in the future). Think of all the capital (human, time, actual money, infrastructure, etc.) wasted because big companies can't keep their operations tidy and small companies have to clamber up the corporate food chain to compete. The advancement of civilization is not accomplished through turnover, and "new ideas" shouldn't only come about through waste.

There are better ways if only people would think more often.