It strikes me that monied persons and their numerous spokespersons (lobbyists, captured regulators, corrupt public officials, etc.) act like a torrent of rain on any dike of regulation. The public interest is eroded away constantly, a process rendered near-certain simply because of how capital's interests are aligned. I know the issue is not served well by simple metaphors, but regulatory capture / deregulation is a tough problem in and of itself. Add to the brew a myopic population--weighed down by poverty and shitty food and systemic racism--and when I see someone (above, not you) argue tacitly for pushing even further the Koch Brothers' agenda, all I'm left with is exasperated metaphors.My point, if I have one other than vitriolic bile, is that between Kelsey's FDA and the FDA that let Vioxx through were generations of legislators and lobbyists reducing their scope and fettering their investigations.