they’re trying to build a prison...

Following the rights movements
You clamped on with your iron fists,
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids.

Minor drug offenders fill your prisons,
You don’t even flinch…
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich.

They’re trying to build a prison…for you and me to live in.

The above was published by the smart guys in System of a Down just prior to September 11, 2001. Chuck D has been saying more or less the same thing since the mid-80s. Why is it only now starting to make sense to me…?

Seriously, is there anyone who still feels privatization of what should be government functions is a good idea? We have hundreds of thousands of weekend warriors running around Iraq right now functioning either as security or soldiers, and more contracted civilians over there attempting to deliver things to and from the other contractors. Then comes news that private firms are taking on roles in “intelligence” (gathering, securing, reporting on, storing) – and how fucking scary is that? And, because they’re not actual government operations, they can do so without any regulation or oversight…just pay them, let them do what they claim they can, and deal with any problems later. Works brilliantly, right? Just like at Abu Graib. Just like Guantanamo Bay. Just like the illegal ties they’re now discovering between CIA staff members and certain contracted companies. And, of course, there’s nothing fishy at all about the corporate ties between all the groups that are “awarded” these jobs and any of the members of the current administration…the neo-cons don’t get any financial benefit from this sort of thing, right? Halliburton/KBR…? Anyone…?

My previous – completely unrelated – post mentioned something about a “cancer of corruption” and “the institutionalized looting of national wealth.” Completely unrelated, right? Does anyone notice a pattern? Perhaps some sort of connection between the increasing business and/or profits for shadowy “global” corporations with probable conflicts of interest (direct and indirect ties to our federal government) and the increasing erosion/abuse of civil rights both within and outside U.S. borders, and the increasing lack of accountability with regard to honoring international law…?

Well, apparently, the system of privatizing anything that might be considered sensitive or might need to be overseen by international law is working so well that we’re taking “Gitmo” on the road. Or bringing it back home, as the case may be…

The Bush administration's penchant for privatizing virtually all government operations has combined with the current furor over border security to create another perfect storm - this time for suspected illegal immigrants.

These thousands of people held in detention under the aegis of the US Department of Homeland Security - increasingly in privately-owned jails - are failing to receive timely medical treatment and adequate food, being subjected to frequent sexual harassment, and having their access to lawyers, relatives and immigration authorities improperly limited.

You can read the rest of the article – along with a second, more personal story – by following the jump. And then let me know at what point it’s okay for me to throw my hands up and fucking scream…

Home-Grown Gitmo