tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194776.post115563332743689681..comments2023-11-05T23:25:31.498+11:00Comments on Wot Is It Good 4: Iran-Contra - drugs, drugs and today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194776.post-1155763804996976072006-08-17T07:30:00.000+10:002006-08-17T07:30:00.000+10:00thnx ew. i've front paged this, merged it with you...thnx ew. i've front paged this, merged it with your shrillery post, and added some of my own(!) thoughts. i hope cheney's heart gives out. real soon.lukeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13280906371216516750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194776.post-1155757803868999282006-08-17T05:50:00.000+10:002006-08-17T05:50:00.000+10:00Luke, I disagree about outsourcing legitimate gove...Luke, I disagree about outsourcing legitimate governmental services to private corporations. At first glance, it sorta sounds good, since they often pitch the idea on the basis of corporate efficiency. <BR/><BR/>HOWEVER, built into the idea is the notion of profit attached to services that are supposed to be part of the commons. As an example, water is a natural resource that is freely available. Putting water into a system of pipes, purifying it, and keeping the access to pure water consistently available and the recycling of used water controlled and repurified before releasing back into the rivers and oceans are necessary services that keep the "free" commodity safe for human and critter consumption, and the ecology in general. <BR/><BR/>When you think about it, it is one thing to cooperatively pay for the necessary processing and delivery services but quite another to enrich some corporate executives by adding a layer of profit to the entire enterprise. Same goes for building and maintaining roads and especially what we are seeing in action right now with the military vs. mercenaries crap playing out in Iraq and Afghanistan. <BR/><BR/>Under the old system, the military took care of its own essential services like moving supplies and feeding the troops. Who would have anticipated the likes of Haliburton (and KBR) giving contaminated drinking water to the troops and family members having to ship* bottled drinking water(and food) to soldiers and marines from the U.S. every three days! (* a story recounted by a caller on AAR Tuesday night!) The military also used to provide its own security services; it didn't hire $100,000+/yr mercenaries to work along side $24k soldiers, all paid by tax dollars. <BR/><BR/>If we allow corporations to take over the operation of the commons, we leave ourselves open to higher costs and more corruption. As it is, the traditional limits of purchasing necessary commodities from the private sector, hiring the construction companies to build roads and public buildings, etc., has to be carefully controlled in order to limit abuses. This outrageous bunch is focused only on shutting up and neutering the whistleblowers and guardians of the public purse, and this is after just a very few years of putting that private sector concept into play. <BR/><BR/>Do a little research on water companies and Argentina and it will curl your hair. I've seen enough to convince me that we do need government and that we, as citizens, need to permanently give up the idea that we can afford apathy and any assumptions that those within government are somehow "other." They work for us. Government is what <I>we</I> collectively make it; nothing more, nothing less. We let it get way out of control to the extent that these supercriminals have gained a huge foothold and we are the ones who will have to put it right. <BR/><BR/>Heaven help us stamp out election fraud!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194776.post-1155692293896698202006-08-16T11:38:00.000+10:002006-08-16T11:38:00.000+10:00interesting thoughts. thnx.i'm actually not ideolo...interesting thoughts. thnx.<BR/><BR/>i'm actually not ideologically opposed to the idea that local services are outsourced to private companies - so long as the allocation of the contracts is legitimate.lukeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13280906371216516750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194776.post-1155641739213646182006-08-15T21:35:00.000+10:002006-08-15T21:35:00.000+10:00as far as democracy is concerned, it's being erod...as far as democracy is concerned, it's being eroded in many ways. of course the most overt form is the coup. but, especially in western europe, it has also been eroded by the gradual rise of the market in the domains of the democratic state: public services, public amenities etc. this 'hidden coup' menas that democratic control is being substituted by for profit managerial control. has anyone ever heard of a democratically run for profit organisation??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com