|
|
|
|
|
|
by cydonian_monk
5442 days ago
|
|
|
It may not be common everywhere in the country, but it's a fact of life in the poorer and less affluent states. Especially in Appalachia, where many state governments are basically run by industry groups. Case in point: [1] Caperton v A.T. Massey Coal Co: A recent case from my former home state where a coal operator effectively bought a judge, who then ruled in favour of said coal operator. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually made sense of it [and unfortunately the case was later dismissed on a technicality], but there are many, many other examples of this type of "corruption" that never make it to a higher review. So in that sense, no, we don't really have a free market. We have a Corporate Republic that protects the interests of its largest citizens. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caperton_v._A.T._Massey_Coal_Co. |
|
|