"Corporatizing National Security: What It Means" - Ralph Nader [View all]

[truth2power]

Yes, I decided to put Mr. Nader's name in the subject line so that any DUers who think he never, ever, ever has anything useful to say can just not click on this thread.

This was posted over at Common Dreams this a.m. and I think it's an important assessment of what happens when public functions, including national security, are turned over to the private sector. I would hope that anyone who chooses to comment could address the message and not the messenger.

"Corporatizing National Security: What It Means"

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/06/21-3

"In addition to potentially having access to the private electronic correspondence of American citizens, what does it mean that Mr. Snowden—a low-level contractor—had access to critical national security information not available to the general public? Author James Bamford, an expert on intelligence agencies, recently wrote: “The Snowden case demonstrates the potential risks involved when the nation turns its spying and eavesdropping over to companies with lax security and inadequate personnel policies. The risks increase exponentially when those same people must make critical decisions involving choices that may lead to war, cyber or otherwise.” "

.......

Given the value and importance of privacy to American ideals, it is disturbing how the terms “privatization” and “private sector” are deceptively used. Many Americans have been led to believe that corporations can and will do a better job handling certain vital tasks than the government can. Such is the ideology of privatization. But in practice, there is very little evidence to prove this notion. Instead, the term “privatization” has become a clever euphemism to draw attention away from a harsh truth. Public functions are being handed over to corporations in sweetheart deals while publicly owned assets such as minerals on public lands and research development breakthroughs are being given away at bargain basement prices.

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I still think Edward Snowden is a hero. Nevertheless, one of the things I take from this article is that if Booz Allen wants to piss and moan about how Mr. Snowden absconded with their secret information, they have only themselves to blame, because they apparently let the profit motive come before the necessity of properly vetting their employees (or contractors, as the case may be). Too bad for them.