tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214951.post1001058339034348219..comments2024-03-17T08:07:12.695-05:00Comments on Between The Lines: Populist hypocrisy should not stop prison privatizationJeff Sadowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03972004592729833310noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214951.post-39708144395834220152012-04-23T22:26:09.708-05:002012-04-23T22:26:09.708-05:00Here's another reason that people like Jeff ou...Here's another reason that people like Jeff ought to feel shame. In fact, we should all feel shame about this prison privatization plan, and the whole problem of our society locking up so many people in such awful conditions. Here is a "free market" story of prison privatization run amok. It's a story of private prisons turned into capitalists after noticing that their captives can be coerced to make widgets for pennies: http://www.salon.com/2012/04/19/21st_century_chain_gangs/<br /><br />"The Corrections Corporation of America and G4S (formerly Wackenhut), two prison privatizers, sell inmate labor at subminimum wages to Fortune 500 corporations like Chevron, Bank of America, AT&T and IBM. These companies can, in most states, lease factories in prisons or prisoners to work on the outside. All told, nearly a million prisoners are now making office furniture, working in call centers, fabricating body armor, taking hotel reservations, working in slaughterhouses or manufacturing textiles, shoes and clothing, while getting paid somewhere between 93 cents and $4.73 per day."<br /><br />Of course, the prison population is heavily minorities. Should we feel uncomfortable that in the land of the most repressive racial subjugation that the powerful are finding new ways to keep the boot on the throat of minorities. This kind of story doesn't make it into Jeff's inbox; he's too busy shrieking about liberals. But if he did notice, he'd just think up some reflexive excuse, and maybe draw up some right-wing "study" that satisfies himself that his prejudice and bigotry is actually righteousness.Mr. Harris Plutocrathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14272042050207617611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214951.post-24980537145988453762012-04-23T06:14:58.722-05:002012-04-23T06:14:58.722-05:00The Scorecard got his sail trimmed a bit, huh?
Lo...The Scorecard got his sail trimmed a bit, huh?<br /><br />Looked more like good old political hardball where, despite having all the bats, balls and the umpire, the Scorecard could not hold on to the lead. He lost the game.<br /><br />When he loses a game, you, the loyal Gofer, always come out, demonize everyone on the winning team and ascribe the loss to some aberration that only a sophisticated political scientist could discern.<br /><br />What hooey!!!!!!<br /><br />God forbid, if we ever reach the point, as you recommend, that we run this state on what the social scientists this is best for us!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214951.post-50660183794945571992012-04-22T20:00:38.075-05:002012-04-22T20:00:38.075-05:00Yawn. For new readers, let me explain what is happ...Yawn. For new readers, let me explain what is happening here. Jeff has a reflexive hatred of liberals that occasionally manifests in a knee-jerk reaction to favor privatization of something that most people agree ought to remain public. It's really just a chance to demonize liberals as anti-capitalists. It's great that he calls out opposition as "populists and hypocrites." Any regular reader of this blog can see right through Jeff's support for populist demagogue politicians that are also often hypocritical. <br /><br />For the record, Sadow points to Gerald G. Gaes' study. Gaes argues for privatizing everything, from prisons to prosecution to adjudication to postrelease supervision and even policing, not to mention "almost any publicly administered service." That is: he advocates to privatize absolutely everything. This is a person who Sadow looks to for his supposedly unbiased review. In reality, Sadow just picks someone who agrees with, and advocates for, his preconceived ideology. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what Sadow teaches for a living! It's just so transparently stupid that you have to sit back in awe.<br /><br />As for public safety, spare me the Louisiana conservative lecture. Louisiana is one of the most dangerous states in one of the most dangerous countries, yet it has the highest incarceration rate of any state in a country that is one of the worst in terms of incarceration. Obviously, what we're doing around here isn't working. Perhaps if we force children to chant the pledge of allegiance a few more times in the morning at school we can turn the tide back, right Jeff? Or maybe a few anti-science measures? Lets be honest, Jeff: Louisiana jails are awful. Recidivism is embarrassingly high. Conditions are so bad that the federal govt is even pulling out of Orleans Parish Prison. And now you want to cut corners? Jeff, relative to the liberal states, Louisiana and the deep south is economically retarded by generations, not to mention backwards on nearly every cultural, political and social justice issue. You don't solve this by building a bunch of new prisons to house more and more minorities, or by stripping away voting rights of minorities. All these stupid bills you conservatives are coughing up is a bunch of populist garbage from a bunch of hypocritical, whiney, hateful idiots, just like you.Mr. Harris Plutocrathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14272042050207617611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214951.post-15790817647522813252012-04-22T16:25:20.325-05:002012-04-22T16:25:20.325-05:00"Unfortunately, legislators don’t get much po..."Unfortunately, legislators don’t get much political mileage out of telling the folks back home they stuffed away more money into a savings account for a rainy day, as compared to what small but intense constituencies can bring to oppose such items."<br /><br />Before you make another dumb statement like this you should get CB Forgoston to explain the impact of this $ He did a great job. <br /><br />However, if all you want to do is kiss jindal's ass you don't need any facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com