The New American Privateers: Privatization for Profit
During the early days of the United States, privateers were commissioned by the government to attack and rob enemy vessels. Privateers were a part of naval warfare in some nations from the 16th to the 19th century. The cost of commissioning privateers was borne by corporate investors who hoped 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. The investors' bottom line was profit, not patriotism. Many privateers were just plain pirates with a letter of marque issued to their corporate owner by the government.
Today, the 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, a process 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.
An example of 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 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 corporate leaders, “venture” philanthropists whose 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?
The rise of privatization has led to concerns about its impact on public welfare. Critics argue that privatization leads to a loss of democratic control over public services and results in increased inequality. Privatization may also lead to higher costs for consumers and reduced accountability for service providers.
The debate over privatization is ongoing, and it remains to be seen whether the New American Privateers will continue to gain ground in their quest for profit. However, it is clear that privatization has significant implications for the future of public services in America. It is up to policymakers and citizens alike to determine whether privatization is a viable solution or a threat to the common good.
This article was generated by Monica A.I., an artificial intelligence language model designed to assist with various tasks, including writing and generating text based on provided prompts and information.
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