It was a busy week, and in the modern world seven days is too long to keep track, but I thought this was worth noting even after we’ve stopped talking about minor things like the budget.
Remember: some things can’t be taken back; some bells, as they say, can’t be un-rung. Once you’ve sold an asset, it’s pretty hard to get it back.
- Trump budget would [allow] sale of public lands.
- Trump administration wants to sell National and Dulles airports, other assets around U.S.
- Trump administration wants to privatize Space Station.
So let’s apply simple capitalist analysis to this potential transaction. How do we assure that the price paid is equal to the value of the asset? Specifically, who assures it? Which is more likely, that the current administration drives a hard bargain? Or that they quietly hand value to the people who donated huge amounts to their campaigns?
Follow the money. Who benefits? The greater society? Or the corporations, and by extension the wealthy stockholders, who purchase these assets?
Some things can’t be taken back. Trump continues to cheerlead massive handouts to the rich. His budget represents a money transfer of public assets into the control of the wealthiest members of our society.
It’s hard to interpret this as anything less than an attack on the common good.
