SELLING AMERICA TO THE BILLIONAIRES

The Wrongheaded Push to Privatize Public Services: How Trump and Republicans Are Selling Out America

The push to privatize public services is one of the most disastrous trends in modern American governance. This country is moving in the wrong direction, dismantling public institutions and handing them over to private, for-profit interests. Donald Trump, following in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan and decades of Republican ideology, seeks to turn nearly every essential public service into a revenue stream for his billionaire allies. This is not just misguided, it is a direct assault on democracy and the American people.

Public services exist for the common good, not for private profit. They are meant to be controlled by the people, funded by tax dollars, and operated as not-for-profit institutions. The core of a functioning democracy is that its citizens have oversight and control over essential services through voting and public accountability. Once privatized, these services become beholden to investors, profit margins, and corporate greed rather than the population's well-being.

What Must Remain Public?

Every essential service that affects life, safety, and the functioning of society must remain in public hands, including:

• Police and Fire Departments – Public safety should never be a profit-driven enterprise. When law enforcement and emergency services are privatized, justice is sold to the highest bidder.
• Transportation – Public transportation, including air, rail, and ground transit, should serve all people, not just those who can afford high fares dictated by private corporations.
• Food and Water Safety – The privatization of food inspection, water management, and utilities threatens the health of every American. A profit-driven model incentivizes cutting corners, leading to dangerous lapses in safety.
• Healthcare – The idea that private insurance companies and hospitals should dictate who gets care and at what cost has resulted in skyrocketing prices, medical bankruptcies, and millions without access to necessary treatment. Like in other developed nations, publicly funded healthcare is the only ethical solution.
• Education – Schools should be learning centers, not profit-driven businesses. Charter schools, for-profit universities, and voucher programs are designed to siphon taxpayer money into private hands while leaving millions of children behind.
• Electricity and Power – Privatizing electricity, gas, and other utilities has led to skyrocketing costs and preventable disasters, such as power grid failures that have left millions in the dark.
• Roads and Infrastructure – Turning highways and bridges into private toll roads creates a system where only the wealthy can afford efficient transportation. Infrastructure should be built and maintained for the benefit of all.
• Postal Services – The U.S. Postal Service provides affordable, universal mail delivery. Privatizing it would mean higher costs and reduced service, particularly for rural communities.

The Real Agenda: Oligarchy in the Making

The goal of privatization isn’t efficiency; it’s power and control. When Trump and his allies push for privatizing government services, they are not looking to improve them. They want to create an oligarchy in which billionaires control society's essential functions.

Privatization does not lower costs or improve services. It eliminates public oversight, allows price gouging, and creates monopolies that benefit only a wealthy few. Other developed nations recognize the value of public services. European nations, Canada, and some developing countries ensure that healthcare, education, transportation, and utilities remain public goods. The United States, however, is moving in the opposite direction, auctioning off the public sector to private investors with little to no accountability.

We Must Reverse Course

If America continues down this road, we will become a nation where only the wealthy have access to safety, education, and healthcare. The dismantling of public services is a direct attack on democracy, replacing it with a corporate-controlled state that serves only the elite.

To stop this, Americans must demand the protection and expansion of public services. We must reject politicians who prioritize corporate profits over the well-being of the people. We must vote for leaders who understand that government exists to serve all, not just those who can pay the highest price.

The privatization agenda betrays the American people. It’s time to fight back before there’s nothing left to save.

William James Spriggs