“Once oil passed $140 a barrel, even the most rabidly right-wing media hosts had to prove their populist cred by devoting a portion of every show to bashing Big Oil. Some have gone so far as to invite me on for a friendly chat about an insidious new phenomenon: ‘disaster capitalism.’ … For instance, ‘independent conservative’ radio host Jerry Doyle and I were having a perfectly amiable conversation about sleazy insurance companies and inept politicians when this happened: ‘I think I have a quick way to bring the prices down,’ Doyle announced. ‘We’ve invested $650 billion to liberate a nation of 25 million people. Shouldn’t we just demand that they give us oil? … I can have the problem solved of gas prices coming down in ten days, not ten years.’ There were a couple of problems with Doyle’s plan, of course.” [editor’s note: Her only flaw here is in attributing this to any concept of “free markets”; the corporate welfare/warfare state is anathema to such, although it is the only option permitted under this (or any other recent) version of the “USA, Inc. regime” - SAT] (07/01/08)