Honestly, I think a lot of people (usually of the liberal political persuasion) think that THIS time it'll be different. THIS time the CEOs and board members will take a cut in pay and we'll get those horrible rich people. THIS time will be different.
The problem isnt liberal regulation, or regulation in general, or any political ideology.
Though admittedly regulation does have issues as a concept. (it often creates barriers to entry and a specious, easily corruptable relationship between the regulator, and regulated).
But the problem is a lack of anti-trust action and seeing corporations as "people".
If big companies we're split apart when they reach anything close to "big" I think regulations would have a better chance of working.
Basically what I am saying is the only thing to stop a company from passing costs onto the consumer is a fiercely competetive market.
Surely regulation
as a concept is vital to a healthy society. But what's needed is to really examine and fix the relationships between govenment and industry. If those relationships are corrupted, it follows that the regulations would be similarly tainted.
My solution? More and better education for all. Get people to turn off the puppet-show "news" regardless of whether thier favorite is coke or pepsi, MSNBC or Fox... This wont fix everything, but I think it's the first step. People wont demand a better world until they understand the one they live in.
OK, yeah that wass a bit of a tangent!