The world in Chaos

So here we are, on the verge of hitting the historical 2010. Many films and books have made this year something special. Hell, one movie is even named 2010, though the book is better.
So what's my point?

Simple, we as a human society have come to a point where we have given in to Corporations. We have allowed corporations to decide what we want and if there is a hint of disagreement on the consumers part then the corporations squelch us with lawsuits and years of litigation.
One thing I would like to make clear is that in the term Corporation I also include government, and by government I include every legitimate and illegitimate bodies.

Let's face it, who made the decision in the U.S. to bail out failing companies? The government.
Who has filed lawsuit after lawsuit against other corporations, thus wasting more time on mundane crap that will not affect humanity in any long term serious way? The government.

Now of course there are those out there that say, "Well hey, you voted them in. It's your fault that they did these things." This is indeed partly true. However in the case of the U.S. government bailing out car companies and others I would like to add, that I never gave my permission to have them spend my hard earned tax dollars to pay for stupidity. I don't see how I gave the government the right to make sure that CEO's got their room full of money. Also, since when did I vote in a government that would make these types of decisions, considering that we're not talking about a few million here and there, we're talking billions, without seeking a popular vote?
I'm also aghast at the E.U. for constantly filing lawsuits against one corporation in particular; Microsoft. It's bad enough that there are cases in our own country that have become so befuddled with idiocy that the truth has been buried. Claims get thrown back and forth about monopolistic behaviour, the big guy squashing the little guy, or they stole our idea and though it's value is only worth a few thousand grand, we want millions. It makes me very damned mad that our governments waste time on this crap. There's much more they could spend that time and effort on that would improve life.
Again, however I must play my own devil's advocate and say, "Well, if government didn't step in and stop this type of behavior then there would be a Monopoly and then eventually the consumer would be screwed without proper representation." Fine, we do want to preempt such actions, but why not wait until there is a problem? Since most nations have a good portion of their society based on capitalism then eventually, if the consumers aren't afraid of getting stuck in a rut, the consumers will decide the outcome. But when government keep sucking the consumer dry with more and more taxes, only to give those taxes to the corporations that we now longer wish to fund, well then our choice has been squelched by the thing that was supposed to protect it.

So you ask, why they hell am I even writing this thing? It looks like I bitch and moan about what is going on and I am not willing to make a change. Quite the contrary, I'm willing to make a change, but the change I would like to make is only mirrored by a few. Most people have succumbed to being directed and told what is best for them. Sounds like Logan's Run.
A good example of this is Apple and their plethora of apps that they provide for the iPhone and iPod touch. When people think about it, who is supposed to decide what works and what doesn't?
The consumer should, but they don't. At least not when it comes to Apple.
Think about this. Apple has rejected an app called Google Voice. It's an app that would allow the consumer to make calls at a reduced cost, more than likely lower than that of the cellular provider, and you can even setup a number for your Google Voice account that redirects call to that number to any other number you provide (mind you that the number you provide needs to be authorized- So no toilet jokes allowed). So far it seems pretty straight forward right?
Wrong. Apple rejected this app and now it's in litigation to decide if they were acting fair. How long it stays in litigation is unknown, but if Apple has their way then it will be a long assed time.
However, to make things even more interesting, an App for both the iPhone and iPod touch has just been released for Vonage.
Most people have heard about Vonage and their extremely low call prices. Well now you can use it from your iPhone or if you could figure out how to attach a microphone to the iPod Touch, then you can use it where-ever you have a WiFi connection.
It seems to me that the Google Voice app wasn't at all rejected by AT&T like some think, or else why couldn't they use Google Voice when they have a WiFi connection, something that AT&T has no control over?
Well here we see where a corporation decides to flex its muscles and force the consumers to accept their choice. I say if we are indeed a society of litigation, then where's the lawsuits against Apple? After all this behavior is no different from what Microsoft has been accused and has been proven of doing?
Should we just sit back and say, well I like the product sooo much that I will just deal with it? Hell NO!
We little itty bitty people, called consumers and voters, have such a big voice that when used can deafen the world. However, we can only use it when we combine our forces and stop working against each other. Mind you that our voice doesn't necessarily mean speaking or yelling literally. That will get us somewhere, but slowly. People will recognize what we have to say and then respond with delaying tactics and the like. We need to speak to corporations in a much more direct nature, one that corporations know all too well. Our voice should be money.
If we decide not to spend our money, or decide that our tax dollars are not going where they would benefit our growth into prosperity then we need to start withdrawing our funding of these corporations.
Now I've been rambling on and it's mainly for my release of pressure over the injustices that I see, but if there is just one person that is affected by my opinion to better their lives or those around by making their voice count then I feel better.
I would also like to add that I am not talking about Anarchy here. No overthrowing the current government and replacing it with nothing. That's a bad thing. I'm talking about where you don't see someone you think has society's best interests at heart on the ballot, then write in "None of the above.", I'm talking about when you feel a corporation is stiffing your choice on what you want, then don't spend your money their.
It's truly sad this current age we live in. We're surrounded by magnificent technologies that have the potential to improve our lives and unite us in a common goal, but we're too damned cowered into a position of acceptance that we may not know how to speak up.