Privatization

Digby looks at it with regard to the VA, but it could be applied to any government agency:

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As Matt Yglesias explains today, privatizing is not some sort of magical ritual that automatically results in goodness and light. Indeed, when it comes to government services it is just a plain old patronage machine that delivers to the favored politicians at the expense of the people:

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Indeed, especially during this administration who's privatized half the military. We have mercenaries doing what troops should because we don't have enough troops. We're paying assholes 10 times what the troops were making doing the same jobs. We're making the big guys at Blackwater and DynCorp and others rich beyond their wildest dreams, all friends and contributors to Bush Inc. And who suffers?

The sick and injured GIs, the poor people of NOLA, and all the folks who fall through the cracks because keeping track of them and their needs would cut too far into the profit margin.