The banality of evil.
They have succeeded in turning a common natural substance with little or no intrinsic human value into a costly commodity, and have made its harvesting into an activity which threatens the environment and the community. Their actions have become so destructive to others that it requires regulation and oversight, which they no doubt resent as an inconvenience and expense and an infringement upon their liberty.
By employing the wealth and power this trivial, pointless commerce has provided them, they now have the means to influence and pervert government so it is more in line with their greed, and they call this "freedom".
These people have the brown thumb. Everything they touch turns to shit.