AT&T: A case history.

• I remember a decade or so ago that a bunch of activists were upset with AT&T. AT&T was taking on some contracts with the department of defense that had to do with nuclear war. AT&T by these activist's claim was aiding the logistics of a hypothetical offensive nuclear war.
• "Allen & Two Temps" was the humorous description of what was going to be left after its pattern of massive layoffs.
• I heard Allen then CEO on C-SPAN one time. He was trying to get the American people upset about a "tax", one he urged repealing. The "tax" however was the requirement that telecommunications companies service the entire U.S. with phone or long distance service. How cynical! Yeah, there might be a cost associated with this government mandate, but it's one that comes with a subsidy-- the subsidy of access to the whole country, regardless of every homeowner's wishes that cables or signals cross.
• Wiretapping!
• And now, perhaps the worst case of all. AT&T, through sheer chutzpah and greed, was threatening NASCAR's relationship with the sponsor of its NEXTEL cup series, Nextel. See NASCAR news story here. . And a link to a podcast in MP3 where a commentator spouts off on AT&T is here.

Add them all up, what do you have?