cocktamer (imported) wrote: Wed Oct 10, 2018 2:45 pm
LOL like that last one ( other remarks are also cool !! ) Love you
@cocktamer - I'm not sure which is more intent on controlling the lives of the masses via drugs, computers and monitoring government or corporations.
In US, basic government functions are being turned over to corporations at a very alarming rate.
Privately run Prisons are a huge problem. The corporation running the privately run prison cares about only two things - how much money they can make on each prisoner and how can they get the legislature to increase sentence lengths and create more crimes that get prison time. Then, many States forbid convicted felons from voting for the rest of their lives. That way, the voters have no sympathy for prisoners and the money keeps rolling in for the corporations.
Schools for troubled youth. In the US, the KIPP (Keep Kids in Prison Program - well, they say it stands for Knowledge Is Power Program) is a privately run school system that takes "troubled" youth and puts them in "schools" that treat them horribly. The teachers make a fraction of what public school teachers make, the rules are strict and even raising your hand can be seen as disrespecting a teacher and result in punishment. If the parents refuse to send their child to the KIPP program they can be fined and jailed. The programs are expanding because it costs the school system less money (the teachers have up to 45 "students" in a room and are non union. Also, since the corporation is making money the definition of "troubled" student has expanded to give them many more inmates ( I mean students ). Administrators in public schools are under pressure to get test scores up and any student with poor test results is often targeted for even the smallest infraction - eventually landing them in the KIPP program and off the books of the public school. The corporations are constantly pressuring school systems to expand the program. School boards are elected officials and subject to losing their seat if a campaign were waged against them that was funded by the corporations that run the KIPP program.
Red Light Running. Almost every state has farmed out their enforcement of running a red light. Corporations install cameras at red lights, a policeman issues the ticket (that makes it legal), then the DA's office turns the collection of the fine over the a private company. The state still collects about the same amount of money, but they don't have to hire any employees to collect the money. How does the corporation make money? Easy, the fines are higher than they used to be.
Substance Abuse Programs. It's just starting. But, in a couple of states (Florida included) have passed laws where family can ask the court to force a relative into drug or alcohol rehab. The programs are run by private corporations. Advertisements in newspapers and on the internet are aimed at family and run by law firms that work for the corporation that runs the rehab program. If a mother and father are worried that their adult child is drinking too much, they hire a lawyer and get their adult child arrested. Then, the court turns the case over to arbitration. The court orders the adult child into a 28 day rehab program. The rehab is run by the corporation that the lawyer works for. There are no locks on the door at the rehab and the "patient" is free to leave at any time. Yeah, not so much. Legally, they are not under arrest and can leave. If they leave they are held in contempt of court and the Judge (where did the arbitrator go?) will send them to county jail for 30 days for failing to follow a lawful order of the court (the arbitrator). So, the corporation is using the State law to get thousands of people committed to rehab and forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars. If they don't pay, a judgement is put against them. Any land or houses they own have a lien placed on them. If they later inherit money, they'll have to settle the lien in probate. I have a neighbor whose parents have had her put in rehab about four times and she owes them over $60,000.00 and they are charging interest on unpaid balance.
Not to mention the military and the corporations that are making billions off that.
I'm more scared of corporations than governments.