I think you are correct, but I'm disappointed about that. I think the crux of my disappointment is your statement: They're acting wholly rational under the ru

I think you are correct, but I'm disappointed about that. I think the crux of my disappointment is your statement: They're acting wholly rational under the rules of capitalism. Yup, they are. Unfortunately companies have many more resources (time and money) to expend creating this kind of value than most consumers have to guard against it. If we could remove this kind of "value" from our system we would all have a lot more free time (and less jobs). A good or a bad thing depending on your perspective on the necessity of having a job.