Demonize. Privatize. Monetize.

by David Safier

I wrote a column for The Explorer about the three step method Republicans use whenever they try to end a government program, as part of their neverending crusade to dismantle government as we know it.

Step 1: Demonize. Step 2: Privatize. Step 3: Monetize.

My contract with The Explorer says I can't reproduce my columns anywhere else for a certain period of time, so, employing a bit of shameless self promotion, if you want to read the complete piece (I actually think it's pretty good), you can find it here.

Here are a few snippets.

Republicans have promoted an anti-government agenda for decades. And they have developed a simple three-step process to sell their “government is the problem” mantra to voters as they enrich their friends.

The process is: Step 1: Demonize. Step 2: Privatize. Step 3: Monetize.

During my years as a teacher and since I retired, I’ve watched them employ the three-step process in their relentless war against public education, so I’ll use that as a example of how this works.

[snip]

It’s not enough for Republicans to say our public schools need to be improved. They need to convince us public schools are beyond any hope of redemption. Schools are teaching the wrong things when they teach anything at all, Republicans maintain. The super-educated children in other countries will outsmart and out-compete our next generation.

It wasn’t too long ago teachers were honored for their devotion and service, even when schools were criticized. No longer. Republicans lash out at public school teachers, calling them lazy, incompetent and overpaid, coddled by the evil teachers’ unions, which exist only to fleece taxpayers.

[snip]

If public schools are beyond salvation as they maintain, the only possible remedy is to let the marketplace succeed where government has failed. That means putting education into private hands.

[snip]

It used to be common wisdom, no one makes money from education. That was before privatization. Now, corporations and hedge funds have figured out how to turn schools into cash cows. They’re buying school buildings and making healthy profits renting them to charters. School Management Organizations are taking large chunks of money from willing charters in return for supplying books, curriculum and administrative oversight. The result? Less money for students’ educations and more money for educational profiteers.