lewrockwell.com
Barry Lyndon
If learning how to think for myself has taught me anything, it is that there is no such thing as “public” and “private” sectors. That distinction is unnecessary and distracting. A member of the public can walk into a privately owned shop, or even become a shareholder in a private company if they wish. And who would reasonably deny that the so called “public sector” is mostly controlled by private oligarchies and special interests?
Ultimately then, there are only different kinds of corporations. Some kinds of corporations produce products and services that customers are willing to buy, thus making a profit and growing, creating gainful employment. Other kinds of corporations hold a monopoly on force, and designate citizens as “national shareholders” where the whole public get to vote for the CEO. This kind of corporation takes its funding by force from the people, and channels it through a highly inefficient system of bureaucracies to provide other goods and services, usually defined by a commonized or philanthropic bent.
If one is brave enough to look at society in such non-ideological terms, one can measure which kinds of corporate entities produce the goods and services that humans need better than others. We can compare, for example, the fact that on average, 10% of donations given to the British Red Cross got spent on administration. Compare that to 70% of the money that goes to pay social welfare in Britain goes on administration. Clearly one type of corporate entity – voluntary charity – is far more efficient and sustainable than the other kind of corporate entity attempting to achieve the same humanitarian ends.
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