Private Property

Vice President Biden was in Ohio this past week, trying out a new campaign theme for his and President Obama's re-election campaign for November. With no one caring about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the CFPB, which Americans must think refers to the Corporation For Public Broadcasting), and with the soon-to-be judicially invalidated health care law still unpopular (no kidding, Kojak, it helps the insurance companies more than anyone else!), the White House is trying to tout the rescue of the American automobile industry. Although I own a Volkswagen, I have no problem with that, but while in Toledo Biden tried to tie the rescue of Detroit with an overarching philosophy of how the Democrats are actually good for . . . private business interests?

That's right. Biden framed the choice between the Democrats and the Republicans as, respectively, a choice between "promoting the private sector and promoting the privileged sector."

What's the difference?

I don't like it . . . I don't like it all.  This country has gotten so privatized (except for our personal lives, of course) that both parties are actually taking pride in it. Hey, I'm glad that Obama saved the auto industry, but I wish he'd have brought that same initiative to pushing his high-speed rail policy. Despite a few states continuing to move ahead with public high-speed rail projects, like California, Obama hasn't touted it that much of late, and he didn't mention it at all in his 2012 State of the Union address. There hasn't been much talk of rebuilding local or regional public transit, either.

Meanwhile, we have a laughable health insurance law without a public option, numerous government employees have lost their jobs, the military is relying on contractors to cook meals and do laundry, and the Postal Service is on the verge of being taken over by the for-profit shipping interests. And we have a Democratic party wanting to stand for the wealthy owners of private businesses and would-be private interests itching to make lots of money off what should be in the public realm? And for the privatization of space exploration?

With the Obama administration promoting their support for the private sector, the choice in 2012 has become even more of a choice between two Republican parties divided on the issue of women's health.