Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Using Volunteerism to Privatize Society?


A few days back Long Sunday did a post inspired by David Graeber's obeservation that Ego and Altruism are linked. I've just read this by Bill Willers on Dissident Voice which argues that there is a trend in American politics/discourse to manipulate the general desire to volunteer for the purpose of privatizing sectors/services that have traditionally been under governmental oversight. It's a pretty compelling argument when you consider the desires of lobbyists such as Grover Norquist to strangle all Govt. and permanently erase any memory of FDR. The idea is to present Govt. as incapable of handling any human needs outside of national defense therefore reinstating some neo-fuedal society of endentured citizens. When one considers the rise of private security forces and the outsourcing of wars and domestic crises to these companies, you have to wonder how long the Pentagon will be under Govt. oversight and legislation. (I know, as if it is now)

image: Walker Evans
Dissident Voice via wood s lot

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