This is quite simple really.
Public Services
This is simple.
We need public services like Water, Education, Health, Police, Courts, Defence, Social Services, Councils and local issues – roads and infrastructure.
We have to pay for these things because they are necessary for the country to run. The question is how to provide excellent services for the minimum costs?
The obvious cheapest way is to centralise, organise and gain economy of cost and a fully integrated system.
The downside is there is a possibility of inefficiency because of lack of drive and poor quality because of complacency. The answer is quality management.
Privatisation
This puts the services out to tender to private companies. They don’t exist to provide a service. They exist to make a profit. They provide a service and bung on a charge so their shareholders and managers get a good return.
The only way this can make any sense is if the efficiency is so much greater that the exorbitant salaries for managers and gross handouts to shareholders.
In practice managers and shareholders get very rich, prices go up and up and we pay! (Just look at medical costs in the USA! and water companies in the UK!)
Tax
Tax pays for the public services. If you don’t pay enough tax you get lousy public services – (USA low tax – lousy health care, lousy social, lousy work conditions, lousy education Denmark – high tax – great social care, education, health and great pay and conditions.)
I know which I prefer!!