... in "cause-related marketing" raises concerns whether green practices are being replaced by green washing. But green marketing cannot be explained away as soul-less multinational capitalists using progressive buzz words and ruining it for the good guys. The circle-the-wagons mentality in the wake of the Body Shop fiasco suggests a more troubling explanation: green washing is a by-product of the arrogance of the progressive business community itself. Few people, least of all the leaders of the social responsibility movement, asked the tough questions when Anita Roddick claimed her Body Shop was the "most honest cosmetic company in the world." The media, desperate for a feminist superstar, helped her craft an inspiring rags-to-riches-to-Robin Hood success story. Hungry for recognition, progressives seemed all too willing to encourage Roddick's self-promoting, hyperbolic attacks. Unfortunately, enthusiasm and charisma are no substitute for integrity. A truth bubble would have stopped the deception cold. Roddick fabricated stories about ...

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