Jared Diamond's "Collapse"

I'm currently reading Jared Diamond's Collapse. He has great prose and is remarkably clear and creative in his arguments. Regarding the environmental damage wreaked by mining companies, then ignored by the government and taxpayers, he says, "Only when the public pressures its politicians into passing laws demanding different behavior from mining companies will the companies behave differently: otherwise, the companies would be operating as charities and would be violating their responsibilities to their shareholders."

Amen! I look for a day when an honest politician could possibly get elected, even when telling us truths that may not be what we want to hear. May the public be wise enough to see beyond the lies of the pundits and the spin-doctors!