America's cable companies have succeeded through unethical partnerships with state, local, and federal politicians. The industry is a cartel that has long enjo

America's cable companies have succeeded through unethical partnerships with state, local, and federal politicians. The industry is a cartel that has long enjoyed monopoly protection against video competition, and plays the political game extremely well. The result is cable companies have dishonest and anti-consumer corporate cultures. Happily, technological and some regulatory competition are forcing some incumbents to improve (Comcast in particular) but as a group these companies are best understood as the vicious winners of a legalized system of bribery.