By the 1970s public distrust of industry had displaced the General Motors maxim.

Evidence

Some industry leaders accused environmentalists of being communist sympathizers and drew parallels between the writings of environmentalists and Das Kapital and Mein Kampf. But neither the U.S. public nor, even more signifi- cant, many members of Congress seemed persuaded by such exaggerated rhetoric. The once prevailing notion of “what’s good for General Motors is good for the United States” had been replaced by the public’s rising distrust of industry assurances and dread of the unknown adverse health consequences of industrial pollution. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 433

Categorization

• XREF: Contrast to post-1980 deregulatory mood; shows the brief window when environmental consensus dominated. — connects to: Anti-regulation rhetoric backfired by confirming public fears of industry regulatory capture — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 525