"But then again, this is congress and not the corporations we are talking about."

Pretty much a distinction without a difference these days :-) When the soopremes  OKed unlimited corporate bribery, that pretty hammered home the final nail. Capitalism has many benefits. We (the Allies) probably wouldn't have won WWII without the US industrial base that it created. Capitalism without bounds however is a nightmare.

"Our own government seems to be leading in the stupidity stakes" 

LOL I used to think that the Brits were pretty sensible 'til I read years ago about the 'Video Nasties,' banning groaty old horror films to 'protect' the public.  Much of the 'West' seems bent on a reactioin binge lately - right wing, neo-fascist parties gaining etc. The economy doesn't help. People afraid for their economic survival seem to be more easily gulled by that type of thing. 

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken