Republicans have been making an issue out of patronage since I was a kid. Of course, their hypocrisy on the issue is obvious. They're real issue is they don't like Democrats. But they wouldn't let anything like integrity get in the way of a good lie. Tom "The Hammer" Delay demanded anyone wanting to do business with the government while he was hammering only hire republicans. And this privatization of patronage has grown exponentially.
Halliburton and it's subsidiaries rake in billions from the government for transporting troops. Operating kitchens. All kinds of stuff. Republicans, and many Democrats, yes, there are slimeballs on my side also, claim this bullshit "saves taxpayers money." How in the name of Christ paying truck drivers $100,000 a year to drive a truck in Iraq when we are paying Privates and Corporals that drive trucksaround 20 to 30 grand a year is saving money is beyond me. But Privates and Corporals aren't donating big money to politicos either.
The private sector employees are in constant worry about layoffs and plant closures. Who knows when an slick Chinese company rep will walk in and tell the owner of an American business that he has 500 Chinese workers that he doesn't have to pay any benefits for, and only has to pay them a fraction of what he's paying Americans. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says outsourcing is good so the American businessman's conscinece is clear. If the U.S. Chamber says it's okay then it must be. They have "U.S." in their name. Real patriots these guys.
Our military people have enough to worry about with stop loss policies. Getting shot at. Mediocre generals. Washington in disarray. Now they have to worry about their jobs being privatized as well. Blackwater donates big bucks to office holders. How soon before Blackwater comes up with a plan to privatize the military. From what has been coming out, Bush was working on that during his term. Shit. The private sector even spies better than the CIA?
There's always a going rate for privatization of government. $100,000 in campaign donations to national committees is probably close to what a federal government contract costs. Maybe 10 grand to a state campaign committee. Far less for a local government contract. You just have to find your niche.
S here we have Blackwater paying guards over 1oo grand a year to kill innocent Iraqis and assassinate guys in Germany. We have KBR paying truckers over 100 grand to drive Troops that know how to drive trucks. But look at all the money being saved?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
17 comments:
Truth,
really good post.
The Right's "govt is always bad" thinking is very flawed. There are some things which can't be done on a "for profit" basis.The public good needs to come into play as well. This isn't Big Govt or the welfare state, it's just common sense.What's good for the people as a whole.
Your post made me think of the conditions the International Monetary Fund puts on nations it loans $ to-among them is privatization of socialized govt functions.Water,food distribution.Whatever. The entity who purchases the function then raises prices.So it's no longer a function operated for the public good but instead for profit and for shareholders.
This mostly happens to Third World nations, but it seems to be happening here.I guess one could argue we're destined for Third World status,I don't know.
But my somewhat brain-addled point is-we're doing it here wittingly. We have people who ideologically view the public sector as the bad guy and the private sector as the solution.We need a balance.
Privatization is a ripoff and just one more way for corporate pigs to corrupt our society for their own benefit.Halliburton's current and former CEOs all belong in jail for ripping off taxpayers and for sponsoring negligent homicide. To hell with all of them.
The "leaner meaner" military as envisioned by Rummy, limits defense strategy options.
Like spearheading into Baghdad leaving our enemies and their weapons in our rear, only to have them turn, attack, and kill us.
The first General advised 400 thousand troops to safely and totally invade Iraq. He was not listened to, he was fired. His thinking was to keep control over the territory we advanced through.
You cannot on one hand say cut government and then expect government to perform a difficult task.
You cannot say cut taxes and not cut spending.
You cannot have private companies do a job for the government and still expect the same accountability, yet the nation is responsible for its actions, no matter who we send to do the job.
Capitalism was never about just how much money can be made. It also has a responsibility to serve and meet the needs of the society it operates within. If capitalism only serves a certain percentage of society, then it is a failure.
If government cannot serve the needs of its people, it is a failure.
Of course, this is all very expensive. That is the responsibility of the people, to pay for the government it decides it wants.
Republican ideology is to tear down the government programs the people have voted for and supported.
They cannot get the votes to kill programs, but they can get the votes by pandering to voters, to cut taxes.
They thought that would force programs to be cut. Instead it has left us nearly bankrupt.
They thought they could run military operations on less money. Instead we are over our heads. We cannot prosecute the military operations facing us.
If we want to, or have to force ourselves around the World; then we have to pay for that cost. A higher amount of our GNP has to be given to Defense. We might have to consider reinstating the draft.
Republicans have been trying to avoid the costs and consequences of their decisions. Where has that left us?
The one thing that they learned from Nam was----NO MILITARY DRAFT---. So, they started out sourcing. Privatizing the military, [contractors] of course it costs a hell of a lot more money. But you do not hear any relatives complaining. " They volunteered and got paid well" is their out. We now have a privatized military in order to invade, occupy, and colonize sovereign countries that we claim are infested with terrorists. The true aim is to have a privatized international [NATO] military, so that we can privatize other countries natural resources. Or to use them as choke points of those natural resources.
It is a good post Truth. Naturally I don't agree with everything said, mainly RZ's ridiculous claim that NATO is going to be privatized so we can invade and occupy "sovereign" nations for our own personal gain.
The Right wing has long supported and encouraged privatization. DO you remember that idiot Bush wandering about the country trying to drum up support for privatizing social security? Can you imagine where we would be had he been successful?
I'm not sure if RZ's claim is so ridiculous MadMike. I think privatization is used to get big donations from companies that carry out the privatizations. We don't get better service, value or lower prices. But office holders get big donations and they can't be accused of hiring cronies into government jobs. Until now that I've exposed this scheme for what it is anyway.
Great game between Cardinals and Packers.I hated to see one of them lose.
I work with Packer fans,so I pulled for the Cards-what a quick turnaround huh? I was expecting a 25 yeard completion for a 1st down and Boom! Game over and I had to wait for the replay to see what happened.
The crew at work will blame the loss on the socialist agenda of the referees and the liberal media.
Or they will blame unions. Half my union's members are anti union.
Oso is right - some things should not be done for profit. Especially when those with these misplaced incentives are given guns and immunity. This video tells it all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KrixQn9SOo
good link,American Faust. Wish I could say I'm surprised at what Blackwater does.Thank you.
The privatization road is becoming a well paved highway, one that the Feds and State Governments will prefer to travel on.
Non-profit health insurance companies are small potatoes, in the military area, Blackwater/Haliburton are wealthy companies and California is making moves to privatize their prison system. Country wide, State run universities are under-funded and are raising tuition fees, making them more exclusive.
So, three areas, that should be non-profit, Military/Safety, Health and Education, are all up for grabs.
And the prices will go up and service go down because profit is the motivating factor. Anyone who thinks privatization of these services will save money is a fool. You taxes will not go down. You will be sending more money to the companies that donate the bucks to the office holders that got them contracts. The cycle will never end. Money rules politics. Grass roots workers are virtually useless. Mass media, the wealthy donors and bundlers control our lives. But there's something good on TV or Avatar is coming to our local theater.
Anything that falls under the domain of The Commons should be not-for-profit -- and administered by We The People (through our government).
Wikipedia says that The Commons [includes] "public goods" such as public space, public education, health and the infrastructure that allows our society to function (such as electricity or water delivery systems). [end Wikipedia excerpt]
Health care should be a part of the commons -- which means putting the for profit health insurance cartels out of business -- and switching to a single-payer system. An option which was never even considered by the Obama administration. We don't even get a pathetic and watered down public option!
Consider me extremely disappointed. So much so that I'm *thinking* of voting third party in the next presidential election. I live in a Red state, so it doesn't really matter who I vote for anyway.
The points made by your post are, for the most part accurate. I, as always, being the independent conservative I am agree there is plenty of slime out their clogging the engines of what should be free and competitive enterprise.
The solution; True Capitalism, not the kind of mixed capitalism with corrupt regulatory control that is welcomed by knee jerk politicians and businessmen posing as capitalists.
Check out my post on capitalism today on my site. The first in a five part series on what capitalism could be and ought to be.
Unfortunately it is something we have failed to realize. Both business and government bear responsibility. Or should I say the people who engage in unethical and improper behavior for profit? Both in government and business.
Government and the public sector will not solve the problem. For government is made up by private individuals.
You're always well written and informed WD. You should post more frequently.
I'll check out your series on capitalism RN. Just do something about your comment section. Pain in the neck Brother.
Outstanding Truth.
You got to the heart of the matter. The GOP love of privatization is a means to and ends though...
The idea of mismanaging government into the ground, imperiling everything from defense, to social security (investing everything in the stock market would've been such a great windfall for these rich creeps) and remember, Health care's already privatized and it's a runaway hold up.
...Someday, our wars will be contracted out to McDonald's.
-SJ
Post a Comment