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Originally Posted by Undertoad
OK. I remember when that was called "privatization" and it was felt to be a really, really good and libertarian thing. In fact Ls were taking credit for it when it saved the inner cities. Interesting to see how the agenda turns and now they are evil contractors.
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You are talking about privatizing services which should have never existed in the first place. I think its important that we recognize that while it may be cheaper to have Brown and Root making the pancakes in Iraq, it wouldn't cost us a dime (ignoring domestic subsidies) if those pancakes were being served back home in their kitchens. This is the chump change part however. We have entire industries devoted to making tools to break people and their things. Our economy is so distorted by this that our elected Representatives constantly troll for contracts for their districts. They vote for each others deals and our economy gets more nationalized with every contract.
Case in point. Once upon a time Ike rode around in a little helicopter. The next President Hillary or Pataki or whoever will have
birds more fitting to imperial power and an entire upstate NY town will continue to base its economy on Federal contracts. Because I live in a small place I can see very clearly the distortion caused by defense plants. Its much like the old company towns where dependence on one big employer makes folks less and less creative. Unfortunately, todays company towns are dependent on an over-reaching government for their existence not on legitamit commerce.