
Get Email Updates | Log In | Register

Article image
Paul Buchheit
NationofChange / Op-Ed
Published: Monday 30 July 2012

Privatization: The Big Joke That Isn’t Funny

Article image



-- Privatization has generated large profits for new owners but these have not been shared with the general public. 

-- The potential benefits of privatization are often outweighed by high contracting costs and opportunism. 







Health Care













Water and Other Utilities








Privatization around the World











Author pic
ABOUT Paul Buchheit


Worthy of note; The founding

Worthy of note; The founding fathers of this country (as in the USA) were business types themselves but rightly mistrusted corporations and their proclivity toward unchecked power and accumulation of wealth. One idea that was entertained was that corporations should only be allowed to exist for the duration of the project they were designed to accomplish and they would then be dissolved. The industrial revolution and the expansion of the railroads into the frontier blow that concept away. But I still like the idea that corporations should be proscribed in their scope and authority.

Water, air, a place to live and medical care should be fundamental human rights. If it takes a commanding government to do that, so be it. Government is not the problem, business is. Government only becomes a problem when it's left in the hands of conservatives...... irrespective of party affiliation.

So what else is new? We all

So what else is new? We all know the problems and their causes off by heart, the neo classical school of economics and globalization and the avarice of the international bankers as they move to own the whole ball of wax. Both have long ago seized deciding control over almost all governments. They decide how the economic pie is to be divided and what it is to be spent on. If the U.S.of A. wants a war it will only be funded if it's objectives agree with the bankers agenda of bringing some sovereign identity further under their hegemony and that of the mega corporations that have grown up around their institutions. Think oil and Iran, two problems taken care of in one step. At the pinnacle of finance, far above the Dimons of this world, a few elites run an almost world encompassing monolithic power centre. If the elites want a war they have ready access to the world's greatest military force and it's allies at their ready disposal, and use the name of the U.S.ofA. as their calling card. Why else all these wars as the American people are certainly not calling for more conquests, but instead are calling for social and economic justice at home. What the people get are more wars. So who is calling the shots, the Presidential administration, the Pentagon,the subservient war hawks, or some other entity with the power to effectively control politics?

The only other question is what are they going to do with it all when they take final control over everything? Will it be absolute power and corruption to the nth degree with mass social engineering by any means, or will they bring all mankind into the light? My guess is they have no interest in governing, that can be left to the police state. They merely want to own it all that they may pass this ownership down to their progeny,because that is mostly the all of the how and what they think. The rest of humanity, that isn't superfluous, through it's labours is only there to keep them in splendour and opulence.

Suggest everyone, who hasn't

Suggest everyone, who hasn't already, read Naomi Klein's book "Shock Doctrine"
"The Rise of Disaster Capitalism." Much of the privatization enacted around the world in the previous 40 years is detailed extensively. The "fact" that privatization has also been an abysmal failure is undeniable after educating one's self as to the realities concerned. Business is NOT concerned with a child's welfare, clean air or water, adequate police, fire, civil service duties and extranalities, working conditions or wages, environmental degradations, gender, racial or sexual orientation issues, the general health and well being of a particular populace unless, and if, any one or all of those aforementioned subjects affects their "profit margins." Both Adam Smith and Marx, polar opposites to hear many tell it, pointed this out many, many years ago. Privatization, as practiced in Western "democracies" is nothing more or less than a manifestation of "Social Darwinism." It's a world of "limitless resources"...if you have the money. If not...the world is going to become an increasingly hostile and inequitable place to survive.

This is indeed a good

This is indeed a good article.

It is very important to actually see the effects of a policy when deciding what to do. Even if we really like the idea (such as privatization), we must do this; we need to be evidence based.

I think it should be added, though, that any system which is stressed by lots of warmongering, as we certainly are today, will perform more poorly economically, no matter what its system is.

No privatizing or nationalizing, for that matter, will fix our economy when we throw away trillions of dollars murdering people in other countries and maiming our own soldiers. China is prosperous for a lot of reasons, but surely one of the most important is that it is absolutely not at war with anybody, and spends something like one-tenth what we do on the military (despite being a bigger country with 4 times as many people, and 14 neighboring countries which historically have been at odds with them at various times).

The pendulum swings between

The pendulum swings between privatization and government run entities, both have failed as the resources continue to be owned.
The only way out is to move towards total absolute equality, where life is the value and money is used to support this as an organizational tool as digits instead of how it divides resource into more than and less than instead of supporting life. Life is the value.
Even the implementation of a basic income grant would end much of what is simply survival based crime.
This earth has no stamp of ownership, it is here as life to support life.
Stand back from the polar opposites and see the whole, the design within these polarities are limited, yet allow a dramatic affect made huge to blind the obvious.
The value is life.
What is the common good, is taking what is here and using it to support all life in equality.
What you describe above is no different than all the movies we make about injustice, where those who can pay go and get a rush of "being a good person," where in being a spectator without standing until a solution is in fact what is for the common good is implemented, we are all supporters of what exists, which means we are disregarding life as much as those directly involved.
Change what is here to a system of equality, where all life is lived in dignity.
It is the only choice.

Excellent article. George

Excellent article.

George Lakoff has coined /co-opted the term "Privateering" to apply to this practice. It evokes the piracy aspect of this action. Sometimes this Privateering (like with public water systems) which uses existing public infrastructure and charges more, does fewer repairs and is eventually bailed out by the local town or government... only to be privateered a second time.

The Moral Mission of government is to Protect and Empower the people. When corporations get involved their mission is to maximize profits. The 2 missions are not compatible.

Our town and its Republican leadership may soon privateer recycling... only the few committed to recycling will pay an extra fee while trash continues to be a town service. By the way, they're not reducing our town taxes as they remove this service. It's just a giveaway to a private company. They'll probably even use the town's recycling facility.

In the meantime... I hope this bit of awareness will guide people to Vote Democratic in November.

If we do not demand that our

If we do not demand that our leaders obey our laws and prosecute those who fail then we are never going to accomplish our goals and default is very near.This country has thrived on tolerance , but breaking our laws should never be tolerated.

OLDHAT: BS. The economy

The economy tanked because the republican administrations of the past fifty years sold us out to the foreigners and big corporations. Money has no fears and people with money have different goals than the 98% in the USA. Every Rep and senator as well as presidents has broken their oath and the USA laws and should be prosecuted .

i notice smay in disagreeing

i notice smay in disagreeing with me all you can do is do an ad hom attack but i admire your courage to join in a battle of wits totally unarmed see i can do it too

a few of the faults of this

a few of the faults of this piece on ed the stanford univ study wrote conclusion then went looking for support charter schools which were allowed to place students in group by achievement levels succeeded in urban area public ed is an oxymoron an where i am public school are not accredited what about catholic school you do not have to be catholic to attend health care the former head of canada of canada 's say it is imploding gov making sure the head of banks do not lose their $ and forcing social loans caused the crash

Comment with your Facebook account

Comment with your Disqus account

Top Stories

comments powered by Disqus



7 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Support NationofChange


1. You’re keeping independent journalism alive


3. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible

Read the rest...