The New American Privateers
During the early days of the United States, our government
commissioned Privateers to attack and rob enemy vessels. Privateers were part
of naval warfare of some nations from the 16th to the 19th century. The cost of
commissioning privateers was borne by
corporate investors hoping to gain a significant profit from prize money
earned. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without
spending public money or commissioning naval officers. And for the “investors the pay off was the
captured cargo and the prize vessel itself, if serviceable, would be sold at
auction with the proceeds distributed among the privateer's owners. The bottom
line for the investors was Profit not Patriotism. Many of the Privateers were
just plain pirates with a letter of marquee issued to its corporate owner by a
government.
The swashbuckling new American Privateers do not raid ships, talk
or dress like pirates, yet they function much like the privateers of old. They
are commissioned by their corporate masters to capture or destroy public
institutions, it is called privatization.
In simple terms privatization is putting public services in
private hands to be regulated by the free market. The New American Privateers
are targeting every area of public services. From public safety to education,
parks and public buildings all are being “captured or destroyed” by the New
American Privateers. An example how privatization works is crystallized in this
headline: “Firefighters
in rural Tennessee let a home burn to the ground last week because the
homeowner hadn't paid a $75 fee”.
Privateers deny the common good and say
that you should be charged a user fee for such public services. Privateers say
this is necessary to keep taxes low. But
add up the “user fees” and your taxes and you find out you that you are paying
a lot more.
Privateers say:” if you can’t pay your fee:
your house burns down”.
In Public Education the privateer’s broadside has been “the
failing schools” and “bad teachers” The Privateers are ruled by a by corporate
leaders, “venture” philanthropist who’s goal is to capture or destroy public
education and teachers unions and apply the free market system that is working
so well in firefighting.
In 1856 when the Declaration of Paris stated that
"Privateering is and remains abolished". The United States refused to
sign the international accord. The New American Privateers are here today,
privatizing America for profit for their corporate masters. The question is who
will stop them.
