Should things that are vital to our national security be kept in the hands of the private market?

[Lyric]

Poll question: Should things that are vital to our national security be kept in the hands of the private market?

Is it smart to trust the free market with products and services that are literally VITAL to the security of our nation? I mean, it's one thing to let the free market take care of optional commodities and luxuries, but our food supply? Our medicine supply? Is it really a good idea to leave that stuff in the hands of people whose first and foremost purpose is PROFIT? A few years ago, I'd have said that stringent regulation would be enough to ensure security while maintaining the private market for these things, but based on the utter refusal of our government to actually ENFORCE regulations, I now think that we'd be safer and healthier if we just nationalized these industries right away. The recent Pfizer scandal has convinced me of this utterly. Regulations did no good, because Pfizer was deemed "too big to fail" just like the banking industry. If we are entrusting our security to companies that are SO big that they literally CANNOT be punished for fear of endangering lives, then regulation is simply NOT working.

So what say you?

[county worker]

1. During certain wars industries are nationalized like the railroads but even then weapons

manufacturing was private though most things were rationed in WWII. I would say that is the best way.

[Sebastian Doyle]

4. Exactly.

We fought the last real, actually justified WAR with regular industries switching over into wartime mode, like GM making tanks or whatever. There was no such thing as a "military industrial complex", yet we managed to come up with what was necessary, and win.

Now, it's more the opposite. The wars are created for the benefit of corporate America, including the MIC. It's a self-perpetuating Beast From Hell, and we need to pull the plug on it.

[Xipe Totec]

2. If that were true, we would have an all mercenary armed forces

But we don't.

[Lerkfish]

3. my answer is no, but the reality is that the govt. is no better keeper of our secrets

than private corporations... so I'm torn on how to answer.

[Lyric]

5. True enough--but we can reform the government.

We can't really do much to "reform" a misbehaving corporation if they're "too big to nail".