Lying: It's Not Just A Strategy, It's A Lifestyle.

You would think that companies whose advertising lies to the public would have a high price to pay. But you'd be wrong.

The consolidation of economic power into the hands of enormous worldwide entities has given consumers nothing much to choose from except which lying bastards to do business with.

• Does anyone do anything but laugh at the "blazing fast" download speeds that every ISP promises?

• Or the "personal banking experience" that every bank swears by?

• Or the "spacious cabins" that airlines talk about?

• Or the "knowledgeable people" at the big box store?

• Or the outstanding service of the cable industry? 

• Or the amazing voice recognition of tech gizmos?

Everyone with a functioning brain knows that these claims are nothing but hot air. And yet, what are our options? Only to choose another liar.

It would be bad enough if lying to the public were just an economic exercise. But it has become part of the political playbook as well:

• "I am not a crook." Richard M. Nixon.

• "Read my lips. No new taxes." George H.W. Bush

• "I did not have sex with that woman." Bill Clinton

• "There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction." George W. Bush

• "There is no spying on Americans." Barack Obama

Of course, these presidents have legions of fast-talking media scumbags to explain why their lies weren't really lies.

Sadly, we have gotten used to the fact that the only political option we have is to replace one set of liars with another.

Now, with our consumer options rapidly devolving into a choice among fewer and fewer enormous global enterprises of dubious integrity, we are going to have to get used to the idea of trading one lying corporation for another.

The consumer is in charge. Yeah, right.