More on Robber Barons

Nancy Pelosi is blathering on about oil companies being robber barons. Jonah Goldberg is blunt:

There were real robber barons — in the 12th and 13th centuries. These were feudal lords who controlled access to key transportation sites, like rivers, bridges, and mountain passes. They would extract exorbitant fees from desperate travelers with no choice but to pay. Sometimes they were simply highwaymen acting under the color of authority. So here is irony number one: The original robber barons weren’t businessmen at all, but grasping state officials.

Back off, Nancy.