Corporate Control in the US

A friend recently sent me a link to an article by Chris Hedges "Why the Enlightened Liberal Class Is Complicit in the Country's Downward Spiral" (http://www.alternet.org/story/146711/why_the_enlightened_liberal_class_is_complicit_in_the_country%27s_downward_spiral?page=entire). For me the title is a bit misleading. It sounds like Hedges wants to blame the liberals for not getting off their asses and fighting for change. More important for me was the clear statement about the role of private, for-profit companies in running the country and its foreign affairs. Jeremy Scahill has done a great job of revealing the fact that private companies have almost taken over running the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. At home in the US, though, it's even worse. From school books to the secret service to oil rigs, the public sector with it's regulatory function has withdrawn to the sidelines. Amazingly and thankfully Social Security was saved from the tsunami of privatization.

Hedges presents a very thoughtful, concise statement about the state of affairs in the US. What are the ramifications of some of his statements? I mean we've been hearing about this for quite a while now but it's always kind of erie when I'm reminded of it. Gore Vidal said in an interview not too long ago that he sees the US moving towards fascism. It makes me kind of scared to think that private companies are running the show. Especially the secret service. You used to kind of have a bit of faith that government agencies are generally going to watch out for citizens rights (at least to a certain extent). But where is the country headed if you have for-profit companies patrolling the streets and happy to pick up some person they feel like calling a terrorist and sending him off to Guantanamo? Does that not mean that our personal freedom is being held hostage by some jerk CEO who just wants to cash in more government contracts?