Category Archives: Privatization

A European Perspective on Boeing’s 737 MAX Debacle: An “Existential Crisis” for a National Champion

Four existential threats to Boeing: Adverse court judgments, losing insurance retroactively, new competitors, and the end of today’s regulatory regime.

Even Larry Summers Denounces World Bank’s “PEF” Ebola Bonds That Enriched Investors at Expense of the Sick in the Congo

The World Bank wants to double down on financial gimmickry rather than develop the public health infrastructure to combat pandemics.

Bretton Woods Institutions: Enforcers, Not Saviours?

The two Bretton Woods institutions the have huge credibility deficits due to the policy conditionalities and advice they have dispensed to developing countries in recent decades.

The Military-Industrial Jobs Scam

Military contractors have used the threat of US job cuts to extract more dough from American taxpayers….and then cut US jobs.

Trump Promised Massive Infrastructure Projects—Instead We’ve Gotten Nothing

Even budget hawks ought to embrace infrastructure spending, since those projects typically produce $3 of tax revenues for every $1 spent when there’s a backlog, as we clearly have in the US. So what is Trump’s excuse?

Why Are Billionaires Like Jeff Bezos So Interested in Space?

There are good reasons to be leery of billionaires colonizing a public sector activity like space exploration.

PG&E Neglected Maintenance for Years Despite Known Fire Risk; Judge Demands Prompt and Clear Answers to WSJ Expose

A Wall Street Journal expose of PG&E’s willful failure to maintain its transmission lines, directly tied to California’s most lethal fire, led a judge to demand answers.

Recycling Woes: Indonesia Sends Waste Shipment Back to Australia

Developing countries are refusing to accept shipments of waste for recycling; China’s new rules on scrap metal may disrupt the worldwide market for such recycling.

Reforestation as a Solution for Carbon Capture: Hype and Reality

Advocates for reforestation must consider who owns the land to be reforested, and how the reforestation is to be done.

Congress Sniffing Around Botched McKinsey Studies Depicted as Impairing Intelligence Agencies

McKinsey is in hot water again.

Charter Schools Unleashed “Educational Hunger Games” in California. Now It’s Fighting Back.

Andrea Gabor, author of “After the Education Wars,” discusses how California is pushing back on millionaire-driven charter schools. Will the rest of the America follow?

Private Equity and “Institutional” Investor Owned U.K. Utility Engaged in Massive Fraud, Regulatory Evasions, Worker Coercion, Caused “Catastrophic” Environmental Damage

Abuses like raw sewage on beaches and faking regulatory filings make a U.K. water utility a new low in privatization scandals.

Grenfell Tower Fire: A (Non-)Progress Report

Plus ça change….

Public-Private Partnerships Fad Fails

After the failure and abuses of privatization became apparent, public-private partnerships have since been promoted to mobilize private finance for the public purpose. PPPs have socialized costs and losses while ensuring private financial gains.