Do you live your life by your principles?

"Corporations run countries, not governments, stupid. (:P)"

That's just your conspiracy theory.

I suppose I could have said: Kohl gave in to concerted lobbying by the packaging and probably other industries. But I didn't. Formally speaking, the responsibility lay with him as the head of government. The buck stopped with him. Why politicians like him and Thatcher, who simply give away power from the public to the private, were/are considered 'strong' is completely beyond me.

This - what you have written here - is what I mean by 'corporations run countries' - it is no conspiracy theory, the influence and power of the corporation is well recognised, I am not suggesting anything controversial or new here (if I understand you correctly).