Privatization of government is the assumption that corporations can do the work better but there is no evidence for this that is credible. We see the deterioration of government agencies by corporate meddling (the CEO's are writing the laws) and the citizen is caught
holding the bag. Schools and infrastructure crumble, health care is suffering, invasion money in Iraq is going down a "black hole" of waste and corruption (due to the privatization of the military through Blackwater, Dynasys, Triple Canopy, Halliburton and KBR.

A lot of this applies to folk music which is basically a form of expression that defies the music business (which is a form of privatization of music) and functions independently
through an alternative cultural expression that is not restricted by "the bottom line".
In the Thirties, the root of protest or alternative music in song started with groups like
the Almanac Singers, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Josh White, early Burl Ives, Tom Glazer,
and others. Woody may have been our first pro-environmentalist songwriter depicting the plight of the "dust bowl". "Talking Union" told the story of the corruption of privatization. Bob Miller, a songwriter and publisher early in the Thirties wrote of "The Rich Man and the Poor Man". "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" touched the nerve of what happens to country when privatization reigns unchecked. Marc Blitzstein warned that because of privatization of government and its disregard for taxpayers that "The Cradle Will Rock". We have reached a similar time now. Racism, a by-product of corporate
control, since it excludes those who have been economically deprived by "special interests" in Washington, (K Street) was addressed by Irving Berlin in "SupperTime".
Even Cole Porter dipped his toe into the water and came up with "Love For Sale".
The reaction to the privatization of government exploded into a plethora of artist expressions in song. Orson Welles, Leonard Bernstein, The Group Theater, Harold Rome and Yip Harburg all contributed to the denouncing of the "bottom line" and its disregard for society's welfare.

Here, in the words of Jack Blanchard:

If I were king..
a captain of industry
a leader of the people
and wanted to stay king of my hill,
here's what I would probably do:

I would charge the consumersmore and give them less.
If I couldn't raise prices fast enough,
I'd put merchandise like coffee in smaller containers
withut lowering the price.

The masses have become used to creeping inflation,
so I would creep my prices up at a respectable rate.
It doesn't mean I have to give them anything more.

I would always think of the little people as "the masses".
It's more pleasant to rob those I don't see as real epople.


I would build them half-million--dollar houses
made of particle board, screening, and vinyl stucco,
and hang them together with staples.
It's become tradition.   (more to follow on next post)