Private Prisons Lobby Right-Wing Politicians To Profit From Illegal Immigrants

Discussion in 'Politics' started by fraggle_rock, Apr 19, 2015.

  1. fraggle_rock

    fraggle_rock Member

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    I don't know how much more clear it can get-- capitalism is out of control.

    Too many politicians are not much more than employees of oil companies, private prisons, and private defense contractors... the government is so weak and so completely disinterested in the public good that it's getting to the point where it can no longer be considered a government and is instead a tool wielded by corporate overlords.

    http://www.ibtimes.com/report-private-prison-lobbyists-spend-millions-keep-immigrants-locked-1887875

    Drug laws and immigration laws keep America's legalized slave economy going, and right-wing America continues to sink deeper and deeper into fascism.

    62 percent of all ICE detention beds now are operated by for-profit prison companies. In fact, nine out of the 10 largest immigrant detention camps are private, with eight owned by only two corporations -- Corrections Corporation of America and the GEO Group. Those two corporations reaped about $500 million in 2014 alone.
    To protect their interests, these companies -- particularly CCA -- have spent millions in conservative lobbying efforts.
    “Contrary to private prison corporation claims that they do not lobby on issues related to immigration policy, between 2008 and 2014, CCA spent $10.56 million in quarters where they lobbied on issues related to immigrant detention and immigration reform,” the authors note.
    The report also found since the 2010 bed quota was instituted, the two companies have expanded operations in a number of states, now detaining "3,600 refugee mothers and children, at enormous profit to these corporations." Critics say the conditions at these facilities are abysmal, and access to medical care is scant.

    I get that some people are convinced there's not much difference between the two major parties-- but there was a reason Obama wanted to grant amnesty to the illegals. On top of the cost of deporting them, it would have also prevented this kind of thing from happening. What the right doesn't seem to realize is that the 'tough' laws aren't meant to deter illegal immigration, they're meant to make it profitable. It's profitable for people who exploit the lower wages that illegals command, and profitable for the people who run the prisons that scoop them up when they complain or outlive their usefulness.
     
  2. Tyrsonswood

    Tyrsonswood Senior Moment Lifetime Supporter

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    Many, if not all, privatized prisons make the states pay for a 90% full rate, even if they are not full... So you better believe the states will fill them just to get their money's worth.


    Second problem? Being a "for profit" business they need to increase profit every year for the investors... That makes them need to increase the size of the prison and the number of beds on a continuous basis....



    You see where this is going, right?
     
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  3. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    It's all part of the small government, less regulation, free market, Laissez-faire attitude.

    Just give us your money and all will be fine.
     
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  4. Balbus

    Balbus Senior Member

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    The thing is that social and public services are often incompatible with a market approach but neo-liberal/free market ideology does not accept that and so the problems that arise when market elements are introduced are ignored or blamed on the system not been enough market orientated.

    Bring in targets into the publically financed schooling system (linked to the amounts of public money given) and education comes about hitting the target rather than education and so actual educational learning as in questioning and creative thinking falls.

    We have a nurse shortage in the UK this is due to another ‘market’ experiment to save money – Hospitals were offered more money but only if they could show they were in the black – to do this hospitals said they would required less nurses, not because they wouldn’t need them but only to balance the books. This meant the NHS ordered fewer nurses to be educated and so in the short term there was a ‘saving’. But it has now lead to a shortage and hospitals are now having to pay more to get nurses from other countries to come here or more expensive agency nursing any gain has long been lost. This ‘crisis’ has been used by free marketeers as a reason why the NHS needs to be privatised.

    I could go on and on.

    Private prisons is just another example.

    And the thing is that these are not always unforeseen circumstances, people have warned of the possible consequences.

    *

    The thing is that market orientated thinking is about seeking profit in the short term within its area, and it will do all it can to maximise profits, if it can get away with selling, dangerous and addictive drugs it will do so (and does alcohol, tobacco, sugar etc) if it can get away with pollution and pumping dangerous substances into the atmosphere it will do so, if it can get away with the exploitation of workers and even children it will do so.
    It is only government in the form of laws and regulations that can lessen the harm the ‘free market’ could inflict on society, the economy and the environment.

    The pursuit of profit can be dynamic and a force for progress and advancements that are beneficial for people as a whole BUT that doesn’t mean private entities have the public interest at heart, the free market ideology that the market will somehow always work out in the best interests of everyone if only ‘government’ would step out of the way is patently nonsense.

    The problem is that forms of free market ideology have become influential over the last 30 years promoted by many wealth backed institution and a lot of wealth backed lobbying. This means that especially in places like the US and UK ‘free market’ thinking is the dominant ideology within the major political parties.
     
  5. Meliai

    Meliai Banned

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    hey this thread is a great answer for the "why do people hate America?" thread. America is a great example of capitalism gone wrong.
     
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  6. Monkey Boy

    Monkey Boy Senior Member

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    If you really want to summarize the problem it's that the government has the special interests at heart instead of the people.
     
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  7. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    eh' prisons wouldnt last 3days without the assistance of the inmate population.. inmates refuse to work. system collapses..
    inmates state wide could easy cripple the system. but they actually enjoy living there for free.

    prove me wrong..
     
  8. Balbus

    Balbus Senior Member

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    [SIZE=11pt]Orison[/SIZE]

    [SIZE=11pt][/SIZE]
    LOL oh yeah and the people locked up in Guantanamo bay are really enjoying their Caribbean holiday.

    There have been many reports over the years about abuse and brutality in US prisons. The thing is that it is largely ignored by many in US society (as is the fact that the US has the largest prison population per 100,000 in the world).

    It seems to me that it must be part of that ignorance that allows some to feel that such inmates enjoy their life inside or alternatively that their brutal treatment is justified.

    http://www.hrw.org/news/2004/05/13/prisoner-abuse-how-different-are-us-prisons
    http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/oct/24/shame-our-prisons-new-evidence/
    http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2005/09/hitchens200509
    http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/08/national/08PRIS.html

    *

    But let us say that prisoners ‘actually enjoy living there for free’ what does that say about US society in general that so many people would rather live in jail than live in it?

    As I say I don’t believe it true but to actually think that about your own society really is a sad indictment of a society that has really lost its way.
     
  9. Balbus

    Balbus Senior Member

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    Monkey


    “the government”

    The US has an elected government - if people are electing bad representatives who are inept, lie, thieve or who have the special interests at heart instead of the people - then isn’t the problem with the voters for elected such people to be their representatives?

    It seems to me that many people are blaming ‘government’ (an elected government) for being ‘bad’ when the true problem is a dysfunctional political system that allows ‘bad’ representatives into power, it would seem then to me that the solution would then be to try and fix the political system so elections get ‘good’ representatives into power.

    That of course is harder than just blaming ‘the government’ because it means taking a long look at your whole political system and work out why it is not working.
     

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