In the name of patriotism

 Who would have thought that a national emergency would set off a feeding frenzy by corporations and the wealthy?

The outrage over corporate profiteering appears to be growing, both in Congress and the mainstream media.

At a time when the country is being urged to make sacrifices for the common good, the idea of well-to-do Americans lining up for a tax break is appalling,

The predators of Washington are up to their old tricks in pursuit of private plunder at public expense,

Corporations and their lobbyists appear unfazed by the outrage, however. The mining, energy, pharmaceutical, insurance and defense industries have mobilized hundreds of lobbyists to take advantage of the crisis atmosphere in Congress and elsewhere in the nation by gaining favorable new legislation.

Environmental groups, which favor conservation and the development of alternative sources of energy, say nuclear power stations are especially vulnerable to terrorist attack, as would be any pipelines built to transfer oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Consumer and health groups also are furious with the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to capitalize on the anthrax scare. They highlight what they call price gouging by the German-owned giant, Bayer, which holds the patent on Cipro, an antibiotic effective against the virus.

According to the New York Times, the pharmaceutical industry spent more on lobbying and campaign contributions, most of which went to Republicans, than any other industry in the last election cycle–a total of almost $200 million. Drug firms have some 625 registered lobbyists–more than there are members of Congress.