America’s Bargained Democracy

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/09/19/americas-bargained-democracy/



Alison Stanger wrote “knock on the door of the Federal Government in 2009, chances are that you will find nobody at home” in her recently published book One Nation Under Contract. The staggering scope of privatization of our government’s services and duties started by Eisenhower and accelerated with George W. Bushz, has created a shadow government that in size has never been foreseen in the history of industrialized world.

Federal contracting of every imaginable government service, from prisons to census to tallying up our taxes-and many more-engorged the outsourcing-industrial complex in a way that now Americans have virtually next to no control over their governments’ processes.

Stanger’s research confirms that the top five U.S. contractors–Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop, General Dynamics, and Raytheon-reaped profits totaling $12.94 billion in 2005. To understand the amount of this staggering sum; she gives the example that Goldman Sachs at the height of its powers reported profits of $5.6 billion that same year.

Privatization of our national security is especially of concern with mercenary armies taking over the duties of our troops while getting paid often twice to three times more than them, and in return creating a culture of resentment, distrust and an insurmountable amount of waste at the levels of billions and trillions of dollars.

More at the link --