The Privatization of Everything

Viac o knihe

America's leading defender of the public interest and a bestselling historian reveal how to safeguard our vital public resources from privatization. As individuals strive for social justice and improved living conditions, they create essential public goods—like free education, public health, and clean water—that must remain outside market control. When private interests take over, these resources lose their ability to uplift communities, instead becoming tools that undermine democracy and exacerbate inequality. The founder of In the Public Interest chronicles the ongoing efforts to convert public goods into private profit centers. Since Ronald Reagan's era, privatization has infiltrated various aspects of life, from water services to the justice system. However, citizens are successfully reclaiming their resources. For instance, a Montana city regained control of its water infrastructure, demonstrating that public management can be more effective and economical. In Colorado, towns resisted powerful campaigns to maintain telecom monopolies and promote public broadband access. A determined lawyer even challenged the privatization of Georgia's legal code, taking the fight to the Supreme Court. This work connects diverse issues, raising critical questions about the control of public resources and exposing the hidden crisis of privatization that has developed over the past fifty years. It also provides a roadmap for reclaiming ou