Privatizing War in Iraq, NCLB fuels deception
Monday, July 5, 2004
By Daniel Pryzbyl

Dismantling government public services and replacing them with privatization has never been a secret of Republican neoconservatives. Still, feeding at the taxpayers' trough uses lots of deception.

Nomenclature plays a big role in these transition attempts. The news media, now owned by a handful of corporate giants, has significant influence with "title" changes. Seemingly harmless, we soon we begin hearing governors, mayors, county chiefs and even public school district superintendents being referred in newspapers and media as "CEO" (private sector terminology for "chief executive officer"). At a recent Milwaukee county committee hearing, the chair of the committee even fell into this market place cadence, urging her colleagues making decisions to see themselves in the same capacity as CEOs. Soon, everyone except those with an ounce of authority will be a CEO. "I'm the CEO of this family, so clean your room!"

With so many "CEOs" now in charge, who is left wearing the real mask? The "feel good" strategy is suddenly blown to smithereens. No doubt the problem will be resolved via numerology – CEO 1, CEO 2, etc., with pre-ordinations too, like "Assistant" CEO 1, etc. Whatever transpires, acceptance of privatization of public services is the goal, and "Get the government off our back!" remains. Don't expect private neoconservative carpetbaggers like Halliburton, Enron, health and medical conglomerates, religious and other privateers feeding at the taxpayers' trough to finish their deceptive demand with, "....so instead we can fill our pockets with your tax dollars." Keep dismantling what's left of government services while proclaiming their "inefficiency," and then be the first in line Monday morning for "fire sales" to sell-off public services.

It was none other than L. Paul Bremer, the chief of "Coalition Provisional Authority" (CPA) in Iraq proclaiming rabidly to a Washington Post reporter in June last year about "the need to privatize government-run factories." According to NY Times columnist Paul Krugman, "plans for privatization were eventually put on hold." But as he prepared to leave Iraq after the recent hand-over of authority, said the Times columnist, "Bremer listed reduced tax rates, reduced tariffs and the liberalization of foreign-investment laws as among his major accomplishments." Gee, with all that "black gold" oozing from Iraq's oil fields, do you think maybe Halliburton or its ex-boss, now V.P. Dick Cheney drafted these "foreign-investment laws"? Krugman continued, "Insurgents are blowing up pipelines and police stations, geysers of sewage are erupting from the streets and electricity is off most of the time – but we've given Iraq the gift of supply-side economics."

"Supply-side economics"? Hey, wait a minute. What about the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and stockpiles of deadly gasses – armed and ready to attack the U.S. at any moment? What about the hoards of al-Qaida funding coming from Iraq supposedly responsible for 9/11? Weren't these the initial reasons given for War in Iraq? All have been proven to be counterfeit; replaced instead by short memories and news media propaganda mills now presenting theatre productions of "Iraq's Shifting Sands." After all, Saddam Hussein still remains a prisoner. Imagine the U.S. troops in Iraq "fighting for our freedom" being handed a note signed by Bremer before he left, gloating over "foreign-investment laws" as one of his major accomplishments. "Say what?"

Adding humiliation, Christian Aid, a leading British charity, put out a scathing report earlier this month (June, 2004), "Fueling Suspicion," said Krugman. "It points out that the May 2003 U.N. resolution giving the CPA the right to spend (oil) revenue required the creation of an international oversight board, which would appoint an auditor to ensure that the funds were spent to benefit the Iraqi people." That's understanding, since the Iraqi infrastructure and dire need for food and medicine were decimated. However, Bremer, Bush & Co. "stalled at the U.N.," and the auditor didn't begin work until – uh, would you believe April 2004? "And now, with the audit still unpublished, the (CPA) has been dissolved." My, oh my! What a strange coincidence of events, eh? Not for neoconservatives in total control of U.S. politics (President, Senate and House). It's just another act of routine deception.

Republican neoconservative U.S. Secretary of Education Roderick Paige was well aware of the deceptive shenanigans written into the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education act long before it was signed, sealed and delivered. For the former Jackson State University head football coach – or any football coach – deception is routine in the sport. When on offense, you can create a formation that might "appear" to be a running play to the defense, but then – bingo! There goes the fullback out for a pass instead, and wide open for the unexpected pass play. Football coaches spend hours mastering the art of deception in their game charts, both for offense and defense. After leaving the superintendent of public schools position in Houston crowned with the "Houston Miracle" advancing test scores and graduation rates, Paige's selection and approval in Bush's cabinet was a sure touchdown. Soon thereafter; however, research proved the "Houston Miracle" an education fraud and deception, but Paige was already too busy leading the "bi-partisan" approved NCLB brigade to be bothered. Their "voucher" decoy received all the media spotlight, as they expected. When Democrats finally succeeded dumping the voucher clause after a long political battle, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) was all smiles. But those who bothered to look closely, George W. had that smirk on his face that said in effect, "Fooled you, big guy!" NCLB plan "B" was implemented. Who had time to read through the 900-plus page voucher-scribed text? Not teachers, for certain. Some educators did eventually, and drivels of anxiety from the 900-pound guerilla soon began popping up in public education circles. "Hey, they don't really mean this draconian sanction stuff, do they?"

"School choice" has always been the trade symbol of neoconservatives seeking privatization for their "education marketplace." But competing with public schools was a formidable task, similar to when privateers competed with public hospitals, nursing homes, welfare programs and other public services in the past. Not surprisingly, all these fundamental public services had a common political and economic thread – all (now including Veteran hospitals) served the social needs of the same large class of population unable to afford existing private services that catered to the financially able middle and upper class consumers, dependant only on their income and insurance limitations. Likewise, all these former public services had suffered through their cycles of a plethora of adverse newspaper and media scandal, encouraging so-called "populist" – but really neoconservative – demands for cutbacks in tax spending for guess what? Yep, "failing" public services.

Promoting charter, home-schooling, religious inclusion, computer "distant learning," and other "school choice" options brought excitement and grant money into the neoconservative privatization market place during the past decade, but competition for students remained tough. Newspapers and media helped to fan privatization flames each year by comparing state and local public district test scores – highlighting so-called "failures," while downplaying local standouts. This was provoked especially in larger cities most affected by Title 1, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with vast populations of lower class income families and therefore larger budgets to exploit. Poor and lower income rural school districts are included in Title 1, now also under NCLB, but have much smaller budgets and fewer "school choice" options. "Why keep pouring tax dollars into failing public schools?" became the neoconservative war chant. "In the real market place, failures go out of business!" (Not always. Even George W. knows that.)

Unlike previous public services devoured by privatization, NCLB had a ready-made format – testing! Competitive test scores still ruled the roost and with the descending economy, public schools had already begun suffering budget cutbacks affecting classroom learning, including staff layoffs. Current union negotiated agreements got the scissors treatment in future bargaining, helping to pave the deceptive NCLB path of voucher-driven education "reform." It was time to "put some teeth" into annual testing – now from grade 3 through 10, implementing school sanctions and closures without remorse; yet realizing all schools couldn't survive the insidious pedagogic high-stakes testing onslaught – and they didn't. NCLB high-stakes testing and draconian sanctions for not achieving "adequate yearly progress" for all students upped the ante to ensure so-called "failing" public school lists. And the personal and family fallout from "failing" labels placed on young students? It wasn't on their radar screen of "concern."

Profiteering at the taxpayers' trough does need lots of deception. It always has, but can taxpayers still afford it – politically, monetarily, educationally and at the cost of injury or lives on battlefields? No doubt, these and other important issues will be on voters' minds in November elections.