Privatization
Why do we forget about the real costs of privatization? Looking beyond short-term benefit, this trend is detrimental to individuals and communities.
The transfer of publicly-owned assets or publicly-run operations from public to private control. Those pushing privatization often claim that for-profit businesses are more efficient or can do things at a lower cost. Initial bids often support this claim, but experiences shows that after the initial period, privatization almost always costs considerably more.
Five Looming Curses of Privatization
by Paul Buchheit With the breakdown of the private financial industry, and with the decision by corporations to stop meeting their tax responsibilities, and with the dramatic surge in tax haven abuse, less tax revenue is available to state and … more
Environmental Advisory Statement on DTE Incinerator
Allentown Environmental Advisory Council May 13, 2012 On March 29, 2012 Allentown signed a 35-year contract with a private NJ company, Delta Thermo Energy (DTE), to build an incinerator on Kline’s Island in Allentown for disposal of the city’s trash … more
Waste Incineration
Note: Much of this material was originally posted as a call to action regarding the City of Allentown’s proposal to contract with Delta Thermo Energy to build a ‘Waste to energy’ plant in downtown Allentown. That proposal was approved and … more
Statement from the NYC General Assembly
Following is the first collective statement from the New York City General Assembly, issued October 5 2011. As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. … more
Back to the Future
If we could travel to 1961, we could listen to outgoing President Dwight Eisenhower warning of the military-industrial complex. [Actually, the penultimate draft of his speech was more accurate—he called it the military-industrial-Congressional complex.] His farewell address included more than this … more
Interview With Alex Knight: The End of Capitalism
“What if we reversed the priorities and created a society that valued life more than it valued numbers on a spreadsheet?” We reprint here Michael Carriere’s interview of Alex Knight concerning the economic crisis and the ‘end of capitalism theory’, … more
The End of Capitalism, Part 1
Part 1. Crisis and Opportunity MC: The current financial crisis is clearly a moment of peril for both individuals and the broader system of capitalism. But would it also make sense to see it as a moment of opportunity? AK: … more
The End of Capitalism, Part 3
Social Limits and the Crisis MC: Capitalism has faced many moments of crisis over time. Is there something different about the present crisis? What makes the end of capitalism a possibility now? AK: As I described in the last section, … more