some thoughts…
The Bedrock of a Just Society
Public services—like healthcare, education, and transportation—are the bedrock of a just society. They are supposed to be the great equalisers, providing everyone, regardless of their background, with the tools and support they need to lead a decent life. Yet, in practice, these services often fall short, marred by inefficiency, underfunding, and, increasingly, privatisation. The result is a system that too often serves the interests of the few rather than the needs of the many.
The Erosion of Public Services: Profit Over People
The idea behind public services is simple: to ensure that essential services are available to all, not just those who can afford them. But in recent decades, we’ve seen a steady erosion of this principle. Public services have been outsourced to private companies, driven more by profit than by the public good.
This shift has led to a decline in quality, higher costs for users, and a widening gap between those who can afford premium services and those who are left with the bare minimum.
When Profit Trumps Care
Take healthcare as an example. In an ideal world, healthcare would be universally accessible, ensuring that everyone receives the care they need, regardless of their financial situation. But when profit-driven entities take control, the focus shifts from patient care to maximising returns.
This often leads to cost-cutting measures that undermine the quality of care, leaving the most vulnerable members of society with inadequate services.
Education: A System Built on Inequality
Education is another area where the effects of privatisation are painfully evident. Schools, once community institutions, are increasingly being run like businesses, with a focus on metrics and profitability rather than the holistic development of students.
The result is an education system that prioritises exam results over critical thinking, and where children from wealthier families can buy a better start in life through private tutoring and exclusive schools, while others are left behind.
Privatisation and The Public’s Loss of Control
The privatisation of public services isn’t just an economic issue; it’s a democratic one. When services are controlled by private companies, decisions about how they are run are made in boardrooms, not by the communities that rely on them.
This disconnect erodes trust in public institutions and diminishes the public’s ability to influence the services they depend on.
Rethinking Public Services
The answer to these challenges is not simply to pour more money into the existing system, but to rethink how public services are organised and delivered. We need to democratise public services, putting control back in the hands of the people who use them.
This means involving communities in decision-making processes, ensuring that services are responsive to local needs, and holding service providers accountable to the public rather than to shareholders.
Protecting Public Goods
Democratising public services also means resisting the push toward privatisation and recognising that some services are too important to be left to the whims of the market.
When we treat healthcare, education, and other essential services as commodities, we undermine the very principle of equality that public services are meant to uphold.
For the People, Not for Profit
By making public services work for everyone, we can begin to rebuild the trust and solidarity that are essential for a healthy society. Public services should not be about profits; they should be about people—about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to live a dignified life, regardless of their wealth or status.
It’s time to reclaim public services for the public good, ensuring that they serve everyone, not just those who can pay.