Very interesting thread. Seems to me the overarching question is more of a philosophical one.
Like it or not, our economic framework stems from capitalism. Maybe we need a refresher on it. In a capitalist system, anything goes until someone leaks it to the mainstream media. As purple squirrel so astutely pointed out (prize for being first! lol) this is a zero sum game. For-profit entities have only one obligation and let me put it in bold type: to return value to the owners or shareholders
Every day, all day long, people are paid to sit around devising new and increasingly clever ways to separate you from the contents of your wallet. No one seems to have a dispute with this part. The Supreme Court has even ruled that corporations can enjoy some of the very same constitutional rights enjoyed by human beings.
Ok, so that brings us to the rights and obligations of the individual consumer - the party on the other end of the transaction. Right off the bat, that consumer is at a disadvantage - he/she doesn't know if a price is fair, unless it has been commoditized in the marketplace. The consumer doesn't enjoy the rights and privileges of the corporation because he/she doesn't have a team of lawyers on hand to protect his/her interests. The consumer doesn't lobby Congress to further its interests in the way that corporations do.
So, should we feel sorry for corporations because consumers are playing the game they set us up to play? Me, I don't have a problem. If I did, I wouldn't be participating in this forum. Given what we know about capitalism, it seems a bit hypocritical to have an ethical problem while at the same time discussing ways to exploit it for your own advantage.
Lastly, there is the issue brought to light by Matt of the people who don't have the means to utilize credit to their advantage. I donate time and money to charitable organizations that support low income people. I look for ways to help them become or stay employed.
This is my choice and fits in with my personal ethics and values.
If playing with corporations leaves you feeling dirty, it's probably time to get out to save your soul. I don't see our economic system undergoing any radical changes anytime soon.
Peace.