So why do the right thing at all? For the same reason that you argue with the umpires in baseball: What else can you do? The claim of fiduciary responsibility is merely an attempt to cloak a total lack of moral responsibility on the part of Google and other companies. This lends more credence to the argument that corporations should not have equal standing as actual people in the eyes of the law. Companies are compelled to seek the best return on their investment, society must be compelled to seek more.

Oh, and because this is supposedly a humor blog allow me to add something I found on Business Wire today under the headline Google Toolbar Gets Personal: “Google Inc. today announced the latest version of Google Toolbar … . the new beta versions of Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer are open and customizable, with new features that enable users to customize their search experience and share information with friends.” That’s customizable as in customized to someone else’s needs. Doubtless your search experience will also be shared with more than just your friends.

And the irony, it flowed like …

To paraphrase Elvis Costello: I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused ... no, wait, still disgusted. For those of you seeking more genuinely humorous fare, allow me to direct you to my other blog, Collateral Damage, where today I try to discern whether or not GE’s new CMO is now or ever has been a Muppet. More real humor on Wednesday, as I’m off tomorrow.