And in my imaginary world of perfection...

While it's commendable for designers to make a statement about how they are going to continue to work, and how their work should be applied, it's not always the practical solution. You're going to, at some point, have to do the shit you don't want to do to keep food on the table and the lights on. While it sucks that as a designer you are expected to put just as much effort into a worthless brochure for NAMBLA as you are the annual fundraising invitation for the Red Cross, sometimes you just gotta do it. And, in theory, in that perfect world with marshmallow clouds and Kool-Aid rivers, all design would benefit, everything would be done for the greater good. The label for my fish food would make both the fish and me happy. But you know what, it's not about making me happy. It's about getting me to buy Fish Food A over Fish Food B, based on which picture I think is prettier.
It's a noble effort, but not always an option.