Privatize this

In 1987, one of the greatest works of prophecy was released upon the big screens across America. The film Robocop showed us a world where we could magically watch video on CDs, and how gas-hogging cars would be all the rage. But perhaps the greatest message was the warning to be wary of privatizing government functions. In short, privatization is a concept where certain functions we have come to expect from the government get licensed out to the private sector, or the business arena. It is the silent idea that is slowly creeping its way into our society, and if we are not careful, we could get into a heap of trouble-and we wont have Robocop to save us. Is privatization good or bad? The short answer is no, though the more involved answer is that it depends. It really does depend on where you are choosing to hand over control and of what. For example, a large topic of controversy is who should provide utility services, the government or business? Do we want our government handling such things, or do we want some corporation to handle them? We have seen such extreme examples as Enron, where providing power and the pursuit of profit became intertwined–leading to gross abuse of the public. The mass public was thrown into chaos when Enron shorted them the electricity they provided, thus making it more expensive and profitable. Another example is Halliburton, an American arms dealer, who was found to be overcharging the U.S. Armed Forces $61 million for services they provided. Perhaps the greatest lesson from privatization comes from what the country of Bolivia went through when they hired the company Bechtel to run their water system. Bechtel decided to raise the price of water so high that many suffered. People were unable to afford basic amounts of water. The public was so abused through this deal that they eventually overthrew their government and forced the company out of their country. But not in America, right? We could never go the way of Robocop, where even the police department had been converted into the branch of a corporation. Sadly, however, we do have that, in a way. Blackwater USA is a private military company, licensed by our government to operate outside the normal constructs of our military and police. They were on the ground in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They are in Iraq fighting battles. They are a hired gun, not accountable to anyone but their CEO. This is where the problem lies. Who are these companies accountable to? When we have problems in the military, they are held to a code of conduct and our government’s law, though companies don’t often have to do much more than pay fines when they cross the line. While government employees’ strict purpose is to serve the American public, a corporation’s strict purpose is to earn profit, not serve the American public. Not all privatization is entirely bad. Our own TriMet provides us with local transportation throughout our city. Chances are, your garbage man is part of a small business as well. But these are businesses that are easily accountable to the local public. They operate in the view of local eyes, where it is easy to monitor their actions and keep employees accountable. Many proponents of privatization claim that it expedites services, making them quicker and more efficient. Anyone who has worked for a major corporation would agree that this is false. Between the front office and back office lies a bureaucracy, much like that of government, where efficiency can suffer just as easily. Where does the line exist between government and business? It is the business of government to look out for our best interest and to collectively care for the public’s basic rights and needs. It is when the big government attempts to hand out important functions to companies that we have to worry. It is here we have limited control and influence.