George W. Bush started a tour today, trying to regain support for his invasion and occupation of Iraq. This is reminiscent of his tour earlier in the year to get people to accept his plan to privatize Social Security. Chances are, this tour will be no more successful than the last one. But it does raise an interesting possibility.Privatize the war.
Seriously, turn over all operations in Iraq to a consortium consisting of Halliburton, Exxon-Mobil, Lockheed-Martin, and anyone else who has a financial interest in the outcome. This would include supplying military forces, equipment and supplies, managing the oil fields and other infrastructure, and working to build an Iraqi constitution and government. If these companies can't manage to make a profit in this brand new field, where they have a complete monopoly, then perhaps they shouldn't be in business after all.
The benefits to the United States are tremendous. We can save over $80 billion a year, seriously reducing our deficit. We can bring home all 138,000 service men and women, allowing the National Guard and Reserves to return to some semblance of calm. No more American troops would be killed, and nobody would be camped out in front of the "Western White House" in Crawford, TX.
And to top it all off, if these great American companies do make a profit, we can collect taxes on it.
This fits in perfectly with the whole Republican concept of getting government off the backs of the people (in this case the Iraqi people, but still...). It reduces the size of government. It allows private corporations to do their business free of government interference. It encourages entrepreneurship and free enterprise. Politically, George W. Bush could finally say, "Mission Accomplished," and mean it - well, sort of. In short, privatizing the Iraqi occupation is everything a good, cloth-coat-wearing, flag-waving, extremist right-wing Republican could wish for.
So why aren't they doing it?
Could it be that George W. Bush just doesn't get it? Could it be that nobody in the right wing has any ideas any more? Could it be that the power elite in and around the Beltway actually enjoy seeing flag-draped coffins?
Or could it be that oil prices might go down once peace and stability come to Iraq?
Copyright 2005, Dan Jacoby
For a PDF version of this document, click here.
To contact Dan Jacoby, click here.
Return to the Main Menu