The Bush Administration and its neo-con handlers don't believe in government. They view government as an obstacle to greater profits in the private sector. It's only useful purpose is as a source of funds. Consequently, they want to eliminate public programs in favor of private ones.

When they gained power, the Bushies wasted no time proving that public programs don't work. They helped the process along by undermining them from within. Their goal is to dismantle every social safety net created since The New Deal and get filthy rich in the bargain.

They have a recipe for eliminating public programs. It's simple and you will almost certainly recognize the ingredients. It goes something like this:

• Identify an agency or program that you want to eliminate or privatize. This will be referred to as "The Target".
• Make repeated public statements that The Target is "dysfunctional", "inefficient" and "outdated". Substitute "pre-9/11 thinking" for "outdated" whenever possible.
• Under the guise of "reform", reorganize The Target. Add as much complexity as possible. This is known as the Rube Goldberg Maneuver.
• Cut funding to The Target.
• Replace qualified civil servants with friends and political hacks, especially in key leadership positions.
• When this carefully coordinated sabotage causes The Target to fail in a spectacular fashion, remind the public that you had identified it as "dysfunctional", "inefficient" and "outdated".
• In the wake of the failure, demand that The Target be eliminated or privatized for the public good.

This recipe was used on FEMA and the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. Although they may not have been perfect, both were considered effective prior to the Bush Administration. After the Bush Administration's improvements, both have devolved into chaos. FEMA has now been targeted for elimination. The Medicare Prescription Drug Program screw-ups made headlines. Its Byzantine rules and regulations are a work of bureaucratic art, literally reducing the elderly to tears.

This same recipe led to "No Child Left Behind", although that one is still simmering. However, you can smell the private school vouchers, along with a hint of tarragon...

Remember this when Dubya tries to convince you that programs must be privatized because the public ones are failing. Aren't self-fulfilling prophecies a hoot?

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