The arrival of greenwashing as a top priority in corporate capitalism’s core industrial complex is expanding and refining the art and science of halo-ware as a 21st-century marketing strategy. “Halo products” are newfangled loss-leaders designed to provide cover for business-as-usual.

Two times in just the past week, Automotive News, an insider gossip and news publication, has mentioned the h-word in its reporting on forthcoming “green cars”:

October 1, reporting on the pathetic gas-electric hybrid Chevy Volt:

The Volt is being marketed as a “halo car” to underscore GM’s green credentials.

October 4, reporting on the “fashion-statement” (translation: over-priced, under-efficient) subcompact Fiat 500:

Jesse Toprak, analyst for TrueCar.com, believes the 500′s Italian design will help those Chrysler dealers who win the franchise to lure new customers. “The halo effect of this car and the utility of this car will grab younger clientele and early adopters,” he says.

“Green cars,” of course, are not the only major form of halo-ware. “Green energy” is right there, too, if the truth be told.