Google’s incredible profits didn’t materialize out of nothing. They are derived because as the news audience has migrated online, Google has skimmed the lion’s share of news advertizing revenues for itself. That money used to go to pay for investigative reporting. Google’s glittering balance sheet basically comes from driving the 4th estate out of business.

The Koch brothers don’t just have a gazillion luxury homes and boats. They’ve been using their wealth to shut out the voices of the 99% — pledging to spend at least $100 million on the 2012 elections. The pro-corporate policies they favor are, of course, antithetical to the public interest. But the TV ads they’re airing so far in this election make it seem like they’re on the side of regular Americans. “Maybe your family is like most, struggling to make it by…The private sector is not doing fine,” says Americans for Prosperity, an organization the Kochs founded and fund.

Whenever the rewards for an action – profits, reproductive success, whatever – depend upon the relative performance of individuals within a group the problem of a divergence between the interests of individuals and the interest of the larger society is likely to be present. The book gives example after example of this “arms race” for positional goods, and details the waste of resources that this causes.

When people believe things that are obviously untrue, and obviously not in their best financial interests, it means that Oligarchy has asserted control of the market in ideas.

In GasHole, using interviews and witty archival footage, directors Scott D. Roberts and Jeremy Wagene, take us on a rollicking and insightful ride through the history of oil prices and the manipulations involved to keep prices high and profits flowing.

This is a rare piece of good news reflecting the positive impact investigative journalism and public outcry can have. The Food and Drug Administration has partly reversed its horrible decision to grant a drug company an exclusive monopoly over an already commonly used medication, which allowed that company to jack up prices 15,000%.