Corporate Watch: Privatize Education

This Republican Congressman from Virginia is the perfect example of the kind of challenge we face these days.  He wants to privatize education which means that the rich kids will have good foundational learning and the poor kids could be "trained on a rock" like Plato was.

Privatization of education, Social Security, health care, sewer and water systems, public transit, roads, bridges, etc are attempts to corporatize all aspects of our lives - turning every public service into a profit generator.  This is what the big $$$ is doing to politics today in the US.  The Congress is bought and sold - like slaves - by the corporations.  They don't give a damn about the people or the planet.  It's a sickness - only money matters.

Years ago while living in Florida I remember Jeb Bush's first inaugural speech in Tallahassee after he was elected governor.  He stood amongst the state government buildings and with sweeping arms declared that "My dream is that someday these buildings will be shut down."  Bush's dream was to turn the work of the public good over to the greedy land developers, agri-business interests, energy companies, and other assorted profiteers.

The reason humankind came up with the idea of government was to regulate the greedy and to ensure a fair distribution of resources amongst all the people.

A very "Christian" thing to do.

But even that basic truth of sharing and caring for others is under attack by the merchants of greed.  I once heard a minister ask this question:  "If Jesus came back today would he ride a bicycle or drive a Cadillac?"  For sure I thought he'd ride a bike.  But no, the minister claimed - he'd drive the Caddy.  When so-called Christian ministers endorse the prosperity, greed and selfishness ethic you know that we are in deep trouble.