As the United States finds itself in the midst of the most radical privatization agenda in its history, few areas have seen as dramatic a transformation to privatized services as the world of intelligence. "This is the magnet now. Everything is being attracted to these private companies in terms of individuals and expertise and functions that were normally done by the intelligence community," says former CIA division chief and senior analyst Melvin Goodman. "My major concern is the lack of accountability, the lack of responsibility. The entire industry is essentially out of control. It's outrageous."
Privatization is often thought about in terms of snow removal, road repair, litter abatement, shipping services, and transportation, because those are the former government services that affect each of us, each and every day.
The privatization of our intelligence services (the CIA) has far-reaching ramifications that when said aloud sound extremely paranoid and far-fetched. Sadly, though, company's like Blackwater are using our tax dollars to undermine America's standing in the global arena, spending our money to benefit a very small group of powerful people (not all of whom are even US citizens), and hiring former government officials who parlay their diplomatic connections here and abroad into massive profits funded from by money we all think is supposed to be used to maintain our national infrastructure.
Blackwater isn't renting bodyguards to Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Helen Walton. They are undermining our national security by hiring-out armed forced of former US soldiers, consultants who used to be our CIA agents, and negotiators who used to be American ambassadors, to any government or regime who can afford their services. These clients include Arab states and sheikdoms that would be thrilled to see the United States crumble and fall.
Blackwater then supports Republican candidates for public office who run on a platform of "conservatism" and "patriotism" who tell us that private companies can run our country better than we can ourselves. All the while, these private corporations are undermining our national security by inflaming insurgencies or propping-up bad governments on the one hand while raping us of our tax dollars for services poorly, or never, provided.
If John McCain is elected president, this will get worse. I am not saying that Barack Obama will stop this dangerous trend; but I believe he will not accelerate the machinations of war machines like Blackwater to the degree any "conservative" would.
Blackwater's growth in the past eight years is a frightening in a very big brother way. I don't know if we can reverse this situation, but somebody has to try and that will only happen if we all talk about it.
If someone you know thinks privatization of the subway is a good idea, ask how they feel abut the CIA being privatized, because that is the logical end of privatization. So-called conservatives don't really give a crap about trash removal and public transit, they want to get their hands on the big money items: our army and our foreign affairs. They want to re-write our laws to allow them to capitalize on every diplomatic relationship formed by Americans from Thomas Jefferson to Madeleine Albright. They want to rape, pillage and steal in our name.
Please do read Jerermy Scahill's article here.
If you think this issue is important, The Nation magazine has been covering issues like this since 1865 (yes EIGHTEEN sixty-five), so consider subscribing.
Dick Mac Recommends:
Subscribe to The Nation
Since 1865
No comments:
Post a Comment