businessinsider | A society — any society —- is defined as a set of mutual benefits and
duties embodied most visibly in public institutions: public schools,
public libraries, public transportation, public hospitals, public parks,
public museums, public recreation, public universities, and so on.
Public institutions are supported by all taxpayers, and are available
to all. If the tax system is progressive, those who are better off (and
who, presumably, have benefitted from many of these same public
institutions) help pay for everyone else.
"Privatize" means "Pay for it yourself." The practical consequence of
this in an economy whose wealth and income are now more concentrated
than at any time in the past 90 years is to make high-quality public
goods available to fewer and fewer.
In fact, much of what’s called “public” is increasingly a private
good paid for by users — ever-higher tolls on public highways and public
bridges, higher tuitions at so-called public universities, higher
admission fees at public parks and public museums.
Much of the rest of what’s considered “public” has become so shoddy
that those who can afford to do so find private alternatives. As public
schools deteriorate, the upper-middle class and wealthy send their kids
to private ones. As public pools and playgrounds decay, the better-off
buy memberships in private tennis and swimming clubs. As public
hospitals decline, the well-off pay premium rates for private care.
Gated communities and office parks now come with their own manicured
lawns and walkways, security guards and backup power systems.
Why the decline of public institutions? The financial squeeze on government at all levels since 2008 explains only part of it. Fist tap Arnach.
