Author’s Note: The following is Chapter 53 of the my online book "Excited Delirium". Please post comments. Please tell your friends about this story. If you’ve missed a chapter, please click here for Chapter 1 (Prelude) or here for the full index
August 5, 2008
In Washington, a surprisingly large number of senior government officials have been working on a strict privatization plan for decades. Over the past 50 years, key players have been passionate about the need to integrate the private sector with government spending. 9/11 and the Iraq war became major jumping points for putting these plans into action.
The Tri-X IPO was the most recent shining example of the level of influence that this new economy held over the rest of America. Companies that produced more bodies than revenue were being heralded as the future of the United States and they were being rewarded for it. Everyone wanted to be a part of these ‘rising stars’, from pension managers right down to Joe-six-pack who saw this kind of investment as a great way to ‘support the troops’. Continue reading