I'm a fan of Robert X. Cringely's column about what's going on in the computer world. It's not your typical "here's an amusing anecdote about my foibles with a digital camera" type of computer column. Mr. Cringely delves into the cultural and social implications of technology and the tech sector. Anyone who is interested in technology and how our civilization is changing because (or in spite) of it should read this column weekly.

This most recent column is one of his best. He examines management and how faceless MBA-holders are sucking the blood out of what was once great about capitalism. He does see some hope in companies that are still run by their founders -- Sun, Adobe, even Microsoft -- but on the most part, big business is cannibalizing itself for some quick scratch. One sentence from the second paragraph sums up the whole article: "Michael Eisner never emptied a wastebasket at work, but I'll bet Walt Disney did."

Are people starting to wise up to the greed of CEOs who don't care about people or product but only profit? With Enron and WorldCom and Tyco, maybe Americans are. Like I said a few days ago, Ralph Nader's next campaign slogan should be, "I told you so!"

But what can we do about it? I write this weblog entry on a Compaq computer running Microsoft Windows 2000, drinking a Starbucks coffee, wearing a Gap sweater and jeans, listening to music with Sony headphones. Later, I'm going to drink a Coca-Cola. With the exception of the music, I know that much of that money spent helped fuel layoffs and third-world exploitation. At least I'm listening to independently published music.

But on the other hand.... I watched AntiTrust on cable the other night. (Not a great movie, though I will commend it for making the programmers look like they were actually programming -- they were using some real UNIX commands!) During the closing credits, as Showtime is want to do, they were running snippets of press junket interviews, and Tim Robbins said something to the effect of I'm not against people making lots of money, but I'm against the abuses carried out when getting that money.

Not that I look to film actors for my political ideology, but I certainly agree with the card-carrying Green Party member on that point. Lots of money is fine, I guess. But earn it fairly and use it wisely. And give back. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Is it?