Jonathan Singer at MYDD frames as another round of privatizing the public good the recent news that the Bush Administration has proposed a new voucher plan to gin up right-wing support before the November elections:
“George W. Bush and the Republican Congress are going off of the same playbook they have been following for years. Whenever any questions emerge about a public program, privatization is their answer.
The Social Security trust fund might run empty in 35 years… partially privatize it. Want to add a prescription drug program to Medicare… partially privatize it. Want to make the War in Iraq seem less expensive… partially privatize services (to Halliburton and others). Public schools are underperforming because of budget cuts… partially privatize them through vouchers.
The American people do not want to see their necessary services farmed out to corporations or private institutions, but Republicans nevertheless continue in their effort to sell off massive chunks of the American government like it was a business they just bought with junk bonds. Oh, Republicans will use terms like “vouchers” or “personalization” to make their plans more palatable to voters, but no one should mistake what their real intention is: negating America’s promise to this generation and future generations by systematically privatizing public programs.”
