[tehjoker]

The principle is the rate of profit is falling, competing countries are rising, and they want to unleash the private sector in the hopes of raising GDP growth significantly enough to retain hegemony. This won't work, because they're fucking stupid, and they'll damage the health of the population and the productivity of the land and waters going forward, but there is a logic to it.

[heavyset_go]

I agree, I'm commenting on the outward justifications that are used to placate the public.

In the past, a mountain of ideology and rhetoric would justify these decisions to the common person in an effort manufacture consent. They aren't even bothering to do that.

[atmavatar]

It's more like the current administration and the billionaires behind them are acting like private equity. Now that they have control of the government, they'll dismantle anything they can and set us on a path to destruction to squeeze out every bit of value they can for themselves.

Those most responsible are either betting they won't be around long enough to deal with the smouldering wreckage or planning to ditch before the country hits rock bottom.

[Euphorbium]

Remember when putting lead into atmosphere made entire gnerations stupid by lowering IQs? Maybe that is the goal.

[potato3732842]

In a kind of ironic way, if those people hadn't been so goddamn stupid maybe the government institutions they created and expanded wouldn't all be reputationally bankrupt and subject to dismantling by populist billionares.