"Safety doesn't sell"

New car, caviar, four star daydream, think I'll buy me a football team

Pardon moi for a moment as we recall a Mother Jones article from 1977.

Pinto Madness
Ford knows the Pinto is a firetrap, yet it has paid out millions to settle damage suits out of court, and it is prepared to spend millions more lobbying against safety standards. With a half million cars rolling off the assembly lines each year, Pinto is the biggest-selling subcompact in America, and the company's operating profit on the car is fantastic. Finally, in 1977, new Pinto models have incorporated a few minor alterations necessary to meet that federal standard Ford managed to hold off for eight years. Why did the company delay so long in making these minimal, inexpensive improvements?

There's several very unpleasant analogies that are still playing out in 2006's corporate environment, Lee Iacocca's "safety doesn't sell" quip has simply morphed into a myriad of other evil expediencies. I could tick off potentially hundreds, but I realise you can fill in the gaps there for yourselves. Have a nice day.