To see how big the Sea of Bribery is, we understand that this broad overview of energy-related bribes and payoffs can be further subdivided. Groups within the energy producing community fight against each other with smaller, self-serving bribes to cause favorable legislation.
Coal suppliers, for instance, pay a sub-group of environmentalists to bewail the problem of storing nuclear waste, which they’ve made nearly impossible. Nuclear power advocates use their own environmental sub-groups to complain about the dangers of air pollution and particulates in the air that come from burning coal. Natural gas advocates have their own sub-group of environmental activists to “prove” that gas is the cleanest fuel.
All environmentalists combine to keep anyone from being able to have their own tiny reactor, or drill their own gas or oil well at a reasonable price. They especially hate the idea of breeder reactors providing virtually free power for every electricity user in the world. “Too radical!”.
All such groups tap into the anger of people driven by hate, who quickly rise to the top of such organizations. They want to stop all progress at any cost. Bribes flow to legislators, lobbyists, and finally destroy free markets. Democracy turns into oligarchy (at one time, seven families controlled nearly all the economic activity in what had been the Roman Republic) when wealthy groups can bribe into existence specially tailored legislation.
When legislators can’t be bribed to override the public good, readily bribable judges are another prong of attack for special interests. Easily bribed judges are said to be “progressive”, as bribes and lies walk hand in hand down the broad paths to destruction.
We have to study the beings in the Sea of Bribery. It does no one any good to say “we love our enemies” when we’re too ignorant to know who our enemies are and how desperate they are to control their precious little bits of created matter.
