This is an impressive post. You're right about the insidious effects of corporate strategy. I'm not saying it's evil or even intentional( although it may be), but it is not in the long term best interest of people in general.
However, we the people are totally responsible because we support this with our dollars. Farmers markets, locally made "things", are "too expensive, unavailable or take to long to get".
I don't shop at wal-mart (actually, I do on rare occasions) because I don't believe they are good for communities. Amazon does get quite a bit of my business , but I still fall far short of supporting what I believe is beneficial and sustainable.
Thanks for the info and the reminder of what I can do to live better and support healthy, sustainable living.