Wholesale marketisation of society

The phrase is from a Guardian article today, the day of the student protest against the tripling of tuition fees, and the coalition vote (probably) in favour. Two issues, 1. is that politicians always change once they have power, and ditch many of their ideals. The question needing to be asked is what is the cause of this? And 2. Everything is becoming consumer driven, the NHS and education are now also rapidly moving in this direction. The writer highlights 'the idea that human progress is now and for ever linked to free markets and corporate interests'. This is profoundly and depressingly wrong, and as a society we are already paying a high price for it. Things will get worse unless we turn back to God. Maybe a glib thing to say, but not something to expand on in this post...