Privatizing the Military
... First, “privatization has become a nearly $200 billion- a-year sector of the military complex“ Cooper (2004). Many though warn that privatization has taken to such extremes that it may undermine the effectiveness of U.S. military operations. But “if Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has his way, the vaulted U.S. military of the future will be transformed into what amounts to corporate-owned units. Ridgeway(2004) Second, saving money is the bottom line when it comes to privatizing the military. The White House office of Management and budget recently projected that privatization would save the government over $1billion over the next three to five years, primarily because contractors are expected to find ways to reduce these costs. Silverstein (1997) Third, contractors are not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Their lack accountability and oversight is a dangerous policy for the United States. “ If the D.O.D. was directly involved you would have a whole network of Congressional offices providing oversight, even if it’s not always sufficient. Silverstein (1997) In 1994 We had at least 90 companies that provided services normally performed by national military forces-but withot the same degree of public oversight...