“Government is inefficient.”
You’ve heard this your entire life. From politicians, from think tanks, from media, from your uncle at Thanksgiving.
“The private sector does it better.”
“Government can’t run anything efficiently.”
“DMV wait times prove government doesn’t work.”
“Only competition and profit motive create efficiency.”
This has been repeated so many times, by so many people, for so many decades, that it’s become accepted wisdom. Common sense. Obvious truth.
There’s just one problem:
It’s a lie.
Not a misunderstanding. Not a difference of opinion. A deliberate, calculated lie told by people who profit from privatization.
And here’s what they really don’t want you to know:
Modern technology—specifically artificial intelligence—could make government services dramatically MORE efficient than private sector alternatives. Instantly. At lower cost. With better outcomes.
The technology exists right now.
We could have:
• Medicare claims approved in seconds instead of months
• DMV appointments handled instantly by AI
• IRS tax returns processed automatically with refunds in days
• Social Security questions answered immediately, 24/7
• Passport applications processed in hours
• Student loan forgiveness applications handled instantly
• Veterans benefits claims approved same-day
All of this is technologically possible. Today. Not in the future. Right now.
But it’s not happening.
Why?
Because the inefficiency is deliberate. And because making government efficient would eliminate the excuse for privatization—which would cost corporations billions in profits.
Let me show you exactly how this works.
THE BIG LIE: “GOVERNMENT IS INHERENTLY INEFFICIENT”
First, let’s be clear about what they’re claiming:
The argument is that government is INHERENTLY inefficient—that there’s something about government structure that makes efficiency impossible, regardless of funding or technology.
This is different from saying “this particular government service is currently inefficient” (which might be true for specific reasons).
They’re saying government CAN’T be efficient. That it’s structurally impossible. That only private sector profit motive and competition create efficiency.
This is the foundation for every privatization argument:
• “Social Security should be privatized because government can’t manage it efficiently”
• “Healthcare should be private because government-run healthcare is inefficient”
• “Schools should be privatized because public schools are inefficient”
• “Postal service should be privatized because government can’t run it efficiently”
The claim: Private = efficient. Government = inefficient. Always and everywhere.
And it’s bullshit.
THE REALITY: INEFFICIENCY IS CREATED, NOT INHERENT
Part 21 documented how government services are deliberately sabotaged:
• USPS: Forced to pre-fund 75 years of retirement in 10 years (impossible requirement)
• IRS: Budget cut 20%, then blamed for being understaffed
• Public schools: Funding slashed, then blamed for struggling
• VA: Capacity insufficient for patient load, then blamed for wait times
• Social Security: Wage cap prevents full funding, then called “unsustainable”
The pattern: Defund → Dysfunction → “See? Government doesn’t work!” → Privatize → Profit
The dysfunction isn’t inevitable. It’s engineered.
But here’s what’s even more important:
Even when properly funded, many government services ARE deliberately kept inefficient through outdated systems and processes—specifically to maintain the narrative that “government doesn’t work.”
Let me give you concrete examples.
MEDICARE CLAIMS: MONTHS OF FIGHTING VS. INSTANT APPROVAL
Current Reality:
You go to the doctor. Doctor files a claim with Medicare. Then you wait.
Sometimes the claim is approved quickly. Sometimes it’s denied. Sometimes it’s partially approved. Sometimes you get a confusing letter asking for more information. Sometimes you have to appeal.
If denied, you:
1. Call Medicare (wait on hold 30+ minutes)
2. Talk to representative who may or may not understand your situation
3. File appeal with documentation
4. Wait weeks or months
5. Maybe get approved, maybe denied again
6. Possibly need to appeal again
This process can take MONTHS. It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and often results in people giving up on legitimate claims.
Why is it this way?
Is it because government is “inherently inefficient”?
No. It’s because Medicare is using outdated systems, understaffed call centers (thanks to budget cuts), and deliberately complex processes.
What Technology Could Do RIGHT NOW:
AI could process Medicare claims in SECONDS:
1. Doctor submits claim electronically (already happens)
2. AI instantly checks:
• Is this patient enrolled in Medicare? (database lookup, instant)
• Is this procedure covered? (database lookup, instant)
• Is this doctor authorized? (database lookup, instant)
• Is the billing code correct? (AI can verify, instant)
• Are there any red flags for fraud? (AI pattern recognition, instant)
3. If everything checks out: APPROVED instantly, payment processed
4. If there’s an issue: AI explains exactly what’s needed, patient/doctor can correct and resubmit instantly
5. If patient disagrees with denial: AI explains reason clearly, appeals process is streamlined
Total time: SECONDS, not months.
This isn’t science fiction. The technology exists. AI can do all of this RIGHT NOW.
Companies like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Google (Gemini), Anthropic (Claude) have built AI systems that can:
• Understand natural language
• Look up information in databases instantly
• Apply complex rules
• Explain decisions clearly
• Handle millions of requests simultaneously
• Work 24/7 without breaks
Medicare could implement this TOMORROW if they wanted to.
Why don’t they?
Two reasons:
1. Budget constraints (Congress underfunds Medicare administration)
2. Political will (Republicans want Medicare to seem inefficient to justify privatization)
But here’s the key point:
PRIVATE INSURANCE USES AI TOO—BUT TO DENY CLAIMS FASTER, NOT APPROVE THEM
Private insurance companies are already using AI. Extensively.
But they’re using it to:
• Deny claims faster
• Find reasons to reject coverage
• Identify expensive patients to avoid
• Maximize profits by minimizing payouts
UnitedHealth, Cigna, Anthem—all using sophisticated algorithms and AI.
But the goal isn’t efficiency for patients. It’s efficiency for profit extraction.
Example: Cigna used an algorithm to automatically deny claims without doctors reviewing them. (Revealed in 2023 investigation—Cigna denied 300,000 claims in two months using automated system.)
Private insurance uses technology to deny you faster. Medicare could use the same technology to approve you faster.
The technology is neutral. The incentives determine how it’s used.
Private insurance incentive: Deny claims = more profit
Medicare incentive (if properly run): Approve legitimate claims = serve patients
This is the difference between public and private.
Not efficiency. Incentives.
THE DMV: THE ULTIMATE “PROOF” GOVERNMENT DOESN’T WORK (EXCEPT IT’S BULLSHIT)
“The DMV is so inefficient! That proves government can’t do anything right!”
Everyone has DMV horror stories. Long lines. Slow service. Rude workers. Confusing processes.
And these stories are used as PROOF that government is inherently inefficient.
But let’s think about this for a second:
Why is the DMV inefficient?
Is it because government is incapable of processing driver’s licenses efficiently?
Or is it because the DMV is:
• Chronically underfunded
• Understaffed
• Using outdated technology
• Handling increasing volume with shrinking budgets
And most importantly: Could technology fix this instantly?
YES.
What Technology Could Do for DMV:
Right now, renewing your driver’s license requires:
• Taking time off work
• Driving to DMV
• Waiting in line (often 1-2 hours)
• Filling out paper forms
• Taking a bad photo
• Paying
• Waiting for license to arrive by mail
This could be:
• Online application (already exists in many states, but not all)
• AI chatbot guides you through process, answers questions
• Upload photo from phone (AI verifies it meets requirements)
• Payment processed instantly
• Digital license issued immediately (physical card mailed)
• No waiting, no office visit
Total time: 5-10 MINUTES, from your couch, at midnight if you want.
What about more complex DMV issues?
• Lost title: AI pulls up your records, verifies identity, issues new title digitally
• Change of address: Update in database instantly
• Vehicle registration: AI checks insurance, emissions (if required), processes payment, done
• Questions about requirements: AI answers instantly, 24/7
ALL OF THIS IS POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW.
Some states have started implementing online services, and they work great. But many states haven’t, often because:
• Legislators don’t fund IT modernization
• Private companies lobby against efficient government (if DMV works well, it’s harder to argue for privatization)
• Politicians benefit from keeping government dysfunctional
The DMV could work better than any private alternative. The technology exists.
They choose not to use it.
THE IRS: DELIBERATELY KEPT COMPLICATED TO BENEFIT INTUIT AND H&R BLOCK
Part 22 covered how TurboTax (Intuit) and H&R Block lobby Congress to keep tax filing complicated.
But let’s be explicit about what technology could do:
In most developed countries, you don’t file taxes. The government does it for you.
Why?
Because the government already knows:
• What you earned (your employer reports it)
• What taxes were withheld (your employer reports it)
• What mortgage interest you paid (your bank reports it)
• What you donated to charity (nonprofits report it)
• What student loan interest you paid (your lender reports it)
The government has ALL your information. They could just calculate your taxes and send you a bill or refund.
This is called Return-Free Filing, and it works in:
• Japan
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Denmark
• Sweden
• Spain
• Estonia (everything is digital, takes 3 minutes)
In Estonia, filing taxes takes 3-5 MINUTES. The government pre-fills everything. You check it, click submit, done.
Why doesn’t America do this?
Because Intuit and H&R Block spend $50+ million lobbying Congress to prevent it.
If the IRS offered free, automatic tax filing, TurboTax and H&R Block would lose $15+ BILLION in annual revenue.
So they lobby to keep the system complicated and keep the IRS underfunded so it can’t offer an alternative.
The inefficiency is DELIBERATE. And PROFITABLE.
What AI Could Do for IRS:
Beyond automatic filing, AI could:
• Answer tax questions instantly (instead of 90% of calls going unanswered)
• Explain tax law in plain English
• Help with complex situations (self-employment, investments, etc.)
• Process refunds in days instead of months
• Detect fraud more effectively (AI pattern recognition)
• Audit efficiently (focusing on actual tax evasion, not hassling working poor)
Every $1 invested in IRS technology returns $6-12 in revenue (by catching tax evasion).
But Congress keeps the IRS underfunded and technologically outdated.
Deliberately.
Because “IRS is inefficient” justifies keeping taxes complicated, which benefits tax prep companies that donate to… Congress.
The circle is complete.
SOCIAL SECURITY: AI COULD ANSWER EVERY QUESTION INSTANTLY
Call Social Security with a question about your benefits. What happens?
• Wait on hold for 30-60 minutes
• Talk to representative (if you get through)
• Representative looks up your information
• Maybe they can answer your question, maybe they need to transfer you
• Maybe you need to call back
• Maybe you need to visit an office in person
This is “inefficient,” right? Proof that government doesn’t work?
Or is it that Social Security Administration is:
• Understaffed (budget cuts)
• Handling increasing volume (boomers retiring)
• Using outdated phone systems
What AI Could Do:
AI chatbot could:
• Answer 90% of questions instantly, 24/7
• “When can I retire?” → Pulls up your record, calculates based on your earnings history, tells you instantly
• “How much will my benefit be?” → Calculates based on your earnings, tells you instantly
• “Can I claim spousal benefits?” → Checks your situation, tells you instantly
• “How do I apply for disability?” → Guides you through process step by step
• “Why was my application denied?” → Explains reason clearly, tells you how to appeal
Complex questions requiring human judgment? AI transfers to human agent with all context, so agent doesn’t have to ask you to repeat everything.
Total time for most questions: SECONDS.
Cost: Fraction of maintaining massive call centers.
This technology exists NOW. Social Security could implement it TOMORROW.
Why don’t they?
Because Congress underfunds SSA, and because Republicans want Social Security to seem difficult and inefficient to justify privatization (Part 21 covered this).
If Social Security worked beautifully and efficiently, it would be harder to argue for privatizing it into Wall Street’s hands.
STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS: DELIBERATELY MADE IMPOSSIBLE
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF) was created in 2007.
The promise: Work in public service (teacher, nurse, government employee, nonprofit) for 10 years while making payments, and your remaining student loan balance is forgiven.
The reality: As of 2021, 98% of PSLF applications were rejected.
Why?
Because the application process was made DELIBERATELY complicated:
• Confusing requirements
• Constant documentation demands
• Different loan servicers with different rules
• Paperwork errors disqualify you
• No clear feedback on whether you’re on track
This isn’t incompetence. This is DESIGNED to fail.
Why? Because student loan servicers PROFIT from your payments. If loans are forgiven, they lose revenue.
So they make forgiveness nearly impossible.
What AI Could Do:
AI could make PSLF instant and automatic:
1. You apply once (simple online form)
2. AI tracks your:
• Employment (verifies you work in qualifying public service)
• Payments (verifies you made 120 qualifying payments)
• Loan status (verifies your loans qualify)
3. Once you hit 120 payments: AUTOMATIC forgiveness, no application needed
4. AI sends you updates: “You’ve made 67 qualifying payments, 53 to go”
5. Questions? AI answers instantly
Zero paperwork. Zero confusion. Zero rejection due to technicalities.
Qualifying payment = payment counted. 120 payments = forgiven. Simple.
This technology exists NOW.
Biden administration actually started moving toward this (simplified PSLF, forgave billions in loans). But it faced lawsuits from:
• Republican states
• Loan servicers (losing revenue)
• Conservative groups funded by… loan servicers
They WANT the system to be inefficient. Because efficiency would mean actual forgiveness, which means less profit.
PASSPORT APPLICATIONS: WEEKS OF WAITING FOR NO REASON
Apply for a passport. Current process:
• Fill out form (online or paper)
• Get photos (approved format)
• Mail application with payment
• Wait 6-8 weeks for routine processing (or pay extra for “expedited” 2-3 weeks)
Why does this take 6-8 WEEKS?
Is there some technical reason it’s impossible to process a passport application faster?
No. It’s bureaucracy and outdated processes.
What AI Could Do:
• Online application (already exists, but could be simplified by AI)
• Upload photo from phone (AI verifies it meets requirements)
• AI verifies your identity (checks databases, no need to mail birth certificate)
• Payment processed instantly
• Passport printed and mailed within 24-48 hours
For renewals (most common): Could be instant digital passport, physical card mailed same day.
Total time from application to passport in hand: 2-3 DAYS.
This is technologically trivial. The only reason it takes weeks is outdated processes.
But “passport applications take forever” contributes to the narrative: “Government is slow and inefficient.”
If passports were issued in 48 hours, people might start thinking: “Hmm, maybe government CAN be efficient when it wants to be.”
Can’t have that.
THE CONTRAST: PRIVATE SECTOR USES AI TO EXTRACT, NOT SERVE
Here’s the pattern:
Government could use AI to:
• Approve Medicare claims instantly
• Make DMV appointments easy
• File your taxes automatically
• Answer Social Security questions instantly
• Process student loan forgiveness automatically
• Issue passports in days
But doesn’t.
Private sector already uses AI to:
• Deny insurance claims automatically (Cigna)
• Maximize prices through algorithms (airlines, Uber surge pricing)
• Track and surveil workers (Amazon warehouse workers)
• Serve ads targeting your psychology (Facebook, Google)
• Extract maximum revenue through dynamic pricing
• Identify and reject unprofitable customers
The technology is the same. The incentives are different.
Government incentive (if functioning properly): Serve citizens efficiently
Private sector incentive: Maximize profit by extracting maximum value from customers
Private Companies Already Use AI—For Extraction:
Amazon:
• AI-optimized warehouse worker tracking (measures seconds of “time off task”)
• Dynamic pricing algorithms (price changes 2.5 million times per day)
• AI determines what products to show you (maximize purchases)
Uber/Lyft:
• Surge pricing algorithms (charge more when you’re desperate)
• Route optimization (maximize driver efficiency, not driver pay)
• AI determines pay rates (minimize what they pay drivers)
Insurance Companies:
• AI risk assessment (identify expensive patients to avoid)
• Automated claim denial (deny first, make you appeal)
• Price optimization (charge different prices to different people)
Airlines:
• Dynamic pricing (charge more when you need to fly)
• Overbooking algorithms (maximize revenue, screw passengers)
• Baggage fee optimization
Credit Card Companies:
• AI detects when you’re likely to miss payment (then calls you)
• Interest rate optimization (maximize interest charges)
• Fraud detection (the one actually useful application for customers)
Private sector uses AI extensively. But the goal is PROFIT EXTRACTION, not SERVICE.
If government used the same technology with the goal of SERVING citizens, it would be dramatically more efficient than private alternatives.
But that would undermine the “government is inefficient” narrative.
Can’t have that.
ESTONIA: PROOF OF CONCEPT
If you think I’m exaggerating what’s possible, look at Estonia.
Estonia, a small country in Northern Europe, digitized its entire government in the 1990s-2000s.
What Estonia has:
• Digital ID for every citizen (used for everything)
• E-voting (vote from anywhere in the world)
• Digital signatures (legally binding)
• E-prescription (doctor prescribes, you pick up anywhere)
• Tax filing in 3-5 MINUTES (pre-filled, you just verify)
• Business registration in 18 MINUTES (online, completely digital)
• Digital birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.
• 99% of government services available online 24/7
Wait times for government services? ZERO. It’s all instant.
Inefficiency? Eliminated.
Cost? Massively reduced (digital is cheaper than paper and in-person processing).
Does this work?
YES. Estonia’s government services are more efficient than ANY private alternative, and citizens are highly satisfied.
The excuse “government can’t be efficient” doesn’t apply. Estonia proves it can.
Why doesn’t America do this?
• Lobbying by companies that profit from inefficient government (tax prep, contractors, etc.)
• Political will (Republicans want government to fail, many Democrats don’t push hard enough)
• Regulatory capture (private companies influence policy to prevent government efficiency)
• The “government is inefficient” narrative is so entrenched that efficiency would be disruptive
If American government worked as efficiently as Estonia’s, people might start asking: “Why are we privatizing services? Government works great!”
And that question threatens billions in corporate profits.
THE DELIBERATE INEFFICIENCY SERVES PRIVATIZATION
Let me connect the dots explicitly:
Step 1: Make government service inefficient
• Underfund it
• Use outdated technology
• Keep processes complicated
• Understaf it
Step 2: Point at inefficiency
• “Look how long DMV lines are!”
• “Look how complicated taxes are!”
• “Look how slow Medicare claims are!”
• “Government doesn’t work!”
Step 3: Propose privatization
• “Private sector does it better!”
• “Let’s give contracts to private companies!”
• “Competition will improve service!”
Step 4: Private company gets contract
• Extracts profit
• Provides worse service at higher cost
• Donates to politicians
• Lobbies to expand privatization
Step 5: Repeat with next government service
This is the playbook. Part 21 documented it in detail.
But here’s the key addition:
They DON’T WANT government to use modern technology efficiently because that would destroy the justification for privatization.
If Medicare claims were approved instantly by AI, you couldn’t argue “Medicare is inefficient, we should privatize it.”
If DMV services were handled instantly online, you couldn’t argue “DMV proves government doesn’t work.”
If taxes were filed automatically for free, TurboTax couldn’t charge you $100 and lobby against free filing.
The inefficiency is the justification for extraction.
So they keep it inefficient. Deliberately.
WHAT AI COULD DO FOR ALL GOVERNMENT SERVICES
Let me be comprehensive about what’s possible with current technology:
Healthcare:
• Claims processing: Instant (instead of months)
• Prior authorization: Instant (instead of days/weeks)
• Appointment scheduling: AI handles it, optimizes for patient and doctor
• Medical records: Unified, AI-searchable, transferred instantly between providers
• Question answering: 24/7 AI explains benefits, coverage, procedures
DMV:
• All renewals online, instant
• Complex issues: AI chatbot handles or routes to human with full context
• No wait times
• No office visits unless required
IRS:
• Automatic tax filing for most Americans
• Tax questions answered instantly
• Refunds processed in days
• Audits focused on actual tax evasion (AI pattern detection)
Social Security:
• All questions answered instantly
• Application process streamlined
• Status updates automatic
• No phone trees, no hold times
Veterans Benefits:
• Claims processed same-day (AI reviews medical records, military records)
• Appeals handled instantly
• Questions answered 24/7
• No 6-month wait times
Student Loans:
• Forgiveness automatic (AI tracks qualifying payments, employment)
• Repayment plans optimized for your situation
• Questions answered instantly
• No confusing paperwork
Unemployment Benefits:
• Apply online, approved instantly or flagged for review
• Payment within days, not months
• Status updates automatic
• No calling dozens of times
Food Stamps (SNAP):
• Application online, processed instantly
• Income verification automatic (IRS data)
• Renewal automatic
• No recertification appointments
Everything I Just Listed Is Technologically Possible TODAY.
Not in 10 years. Not “maybe someday.” NOW.
The only barriers are:
• Political will (Republicans want government to fail)
• Corporate lobbying (companies profit from inefficiency)
• Funding (Congress underfunds government IT)
• The narrative (“government is inefficient” is accepted wisdom)
PRIVATE SECTOR “EFFICIENCY” IS A MYTH
Let’s address the claim directly: “Private sector is more efficient than government.”
This is supposedly proven by:
• Profit (if they weren’t efficient, they wouldn’t profit)
• Competition (forces efficiency)
• Innovation (profit motive drives innovation)
But let’s examine these claims:
Claim 1: “Profit Proves Efficiency”
No. Profit proves you extracted more money than you spent. This can come from:
• Actual efficiency (doing more with less)
• Market power/monopoly (charging more because customers have no choice)
• Cutting quality (spending less, delivering worse service)
• Externalizing costs (pollute, make taxpayers clean it up)
• Regulatory capture (get government subsidies, favorable rules)
Most corporate profits come from the last four, not actual efficiency.
Examples:
• Comcast profits immensely (Part 20). Is this because they’re efficient? No. It’s because they’re a monopoly that charges $80/month for internet that costs $5/month in other countries.
• Private insurance profits immensely. Is this because they’re efficient? No. It’s because they deny claims, drop expensive patients, and have 12-18% administrative overhead vs. Medicare’s 2%.
• Private prisons profit (Part 10). Efficient? No. They lobby to keep people imprisoned longer and house inmates in inhumane conditions.
• Pharmaceutical companies profit immensely. Efficient? No. They charge Americans 10x what they charge other countries for the same drugs.
Profit doesn’t mean efficiency. It often means extraction.
Claim 2: “Competition Forces Efficiency”
This is true in theory. In practice:
Most industries are NOT competitive:
• Cable/internet: Local monopolies (Part 20)
• Healthcare: Insurance dominated by few companies, hospitals consolidating
• Pharmaceuticals: Patent monopolies
• Airlines: Oligopoly (4 major carriers)
• Meat packing: 4 companies control 85%
• Tech: Google (search), Facebook (social media), Amazon (online retail) monopolies
Without actual competition, there’s no pressure to be efficient. Just pressure to extract maximum profit through market power.
Claim 3: “Profit Motive Drives Innovation”
Sometimes. But also:
• Most fundamental innovation comes from government-funded research (internet, GPS, touchscreens, mRNA vaccines—all government funded, Part 19 covered this)
• Private companies innovate ways to extract profit, not always ways to serve customers better
• Planned obsolescence (make products break so you buy replacements)
• Addictive social media algorithms (not innovation for user benefit, innovation for engagement)
Private sector innovation often means “innovate new ways to extract money” not “innovate better service.”
GOVERNMENT “INEFFICIENCY” IS ACTUALLY ACCOUNTABILITY
Here’s something they don’t tell you:
Many “inefficiencies” in government are actually accountability measures.
Example: Government Contracting
Government procurement is famously “slow and bureaucratic.”
Why?
Because there are rules:
• Competitive bidding (can’t just give contract to your friend)
• Documentation (need to prove you followed rules)
• Oversight (prevent corruption and waste)
• Labor standards (contractors must pay prevailing wages)
• Environmental standards (can’t just pollute)
This takes time and paperwork.
Private companies can just… give a contract to whoever they want. Faster? Yes. But also more corrupt.
Example: Firing People
Government employees are hard to fire. This is “inefficient.”
But it’s also protection against:
• Political retaliation (can’t fire bureaucrats for doing their job when politicians don’t like results)
• Discrimination (rules prevent arbitrary firing)
• Corruption (can’t fire people who uncover wrongdoing)
Private companies can fire at will. Efficient? Yes. Fair? Not always.
The “inefficiency” is often accountability and fairness built into the system.
When you remove that to “increase efficiency,” you often get:
• Corruption
• Discrimination
• Political interference
• Worse outcomes
Is that “efficient”? Depends what you’re optimizing for.
Private sector optimizes for profit.
Government should optimize for public good.
Those are different goals. They produce different outcomes.
THE REAL QUESTION: EFFICIENT FOR WHOM?
Here’s the framing that’s always missing from the “efficiency” debate:
Efficient for whom?
Private insurance is “efficient” at denying claims and maximizing profit.
Is it efficient at keeping people healthy? No. Americans have worse health outcomes than countries with public healthcare.
Private prisons are “efficient” at housing inmates cheaply.
Are they efficient at rehabilitation? No. Recidivism rates are higher in private prisons.
For-profit colleges are “efficient” at enrolling students.
Are they efficient at educating them? No. Students get worse outcomes and more debt.
Charter schools are “efficient” at avoiding expensive students (disabled, behavior problems).
Are they efficient at educating all students? No. They cherry-pick easy students.
When someone says “private sector is more efficient,” ask: EFFICIENT AT WHAT?
If the goal is profit, private sector wins.
If the goal is serving everyone equitably, public sector does better.
AI CHANGES THE EQUATION COMPLETELY
Here’s why this matters more now than ever:
Historically, government services required:
• Physical offices
• Lots of employees
• Paper processing
• Phone banks
This was expensive and slow. Private companies could sometimes do it cheaper/faster by cutting corners (fewer employees, worse service, cherry-picking profitable customers).
But AI changes everything:
AI can:
• Handle millions of requests simultaneously
• Work 24/7
• Never get tired or make mistakes
• Process information instantly
• Cost almost nothing per transaction
With AI, government services can be:
• Instant
• Available 24/7
• Free (or extremely cheap)
• Personalized
• Accurate
• Scalable to millions of users
This eliminates most traditional “inefficiency” arguments.
“Government is slow” → AI makes it instant
“Government workers are inefficient” → AI doesn’t need breaks
“Government has long wait times” → AI has zero wait time
“Government makes mistakes” → AI is consistent
“Government is expensive” → AI is extremely cheap
The technology to make government dramatically more efficient than private alternatives exists NOW.
The only question is political will.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE BOTTOM 90%
Let me bring this back to the core thesis of this series:
The bottom 90% are systematically extracted from through:
• Healthcare (Parts 1-6)
• Housing (Part 7)
• Education (Part 8)
• Prisons (Part 10)
• Military spending (Part 11)
• Taxes (Parts 17-19)
• Monopolies (Part 20)
The justification for this extraction is always: “Government can’t do it efficiently. Private sector does it better.”
But what if that’s a lie?
What if government services could be MORE efficient than private alternatives?
Then the entire justification for privatization collapses.
And trillions of dollars in extraction would be threatened.
That’s why they don’t want you to know that:
• Medicare claims could be instant (but aren’t)
• Tax filing could be automatic (but isn’t)
• DMV could be online and instant (but isn’t)
• Social Security questions could be answered by AI 24/7 (but aren’t)
The technology exists. They choose not to use it.
Because efficient government threatens corporate profits.
If Medicare worked perfectly, why privatize it?
If Social Security was easy and efficient, why let Wall Street manage it?
If public schools had all the technology and resources they needed, why push charter schools?
If USPS was instant and reliable, why privatize mail delivery?
The inefficiency is the excuse for extraction.
Remove the inefficiency, and you remove the excuse.
That’s why this matters.
THE SOLUTIONS: DEMANDING EFFICIENCY
So what do we do?
1. Demand Government Use Modern Technology
Call your representatives. Demand that:
• Medicare implement AI claims processing
• IRS offer free automatic tax filing
• DMV services move online with AI assistance
• Social Security implement 24/7 AI question answering
• All government services use modern technology
This isn’t radical. It’s basic modernization.
2. Fund Government IT Properly
Government IT is chronically underfunded. Then blamed for being outdated.
Demand adequate funding for:
• Modern systems
• Cybersecurity
• AI implementation
• Training
This is an INVESTMENT, not a cost. Efficient government saves money long-term.
3. Compare Government to Private on Fair Terms
When someone says “government is inefficient,” demand specifics:
• Efficient at what?
• Compared to what private alternative?
• Are you counting administrative overhead? (Medicare 2% vs. private insurance 12-18%)
• Are you accounting for cherry-picking? (Private companies avoid expensive customers)
• Are you including subsidies and tax breaks to private companies?
Fair comparison, government often wins.
4. Point to International Examples
Every time someone says “government can’t be efficient”:
Point to Estonia (digital government, 3-minute tax filing).
Point to other countries’ healthcare systems (better outcomes, lower cost, government-run).
Point to other countries’ transit systems (faster, cheaper, government-run).
The “government is inherently inefficient” claim is disproven by every other developed country.
5. Demand Accountability for Deliberate Inefficiency
When you identify deliberate inefficiency:
• USPS pre-funding requirement (Part 21) → Demand its removal
• IRS underfunding → Demand proper funding
• TurboTax lobbying against free filing → Demand automatic filing
• Student loan servicers making forgiveness impossible → Demand streamlined process
Call out the sabotage. Demand efficiency.
6. Challenge the Privatization Narrative
Every time privatization is proposed:
Ask:
• How would private company be more efficient?
• What’s their profit margin? (That’s money extracted, not efficiency)
• Would they cherry-pick profitable customers and leave the rest?
• What would happen to employees? (Usually paid less, fewer benefits)
• What would happen to service quality?
Demand evidence that privatization would actually improve service, not just generate profit.
7. Support Politicians Who Will Modernize Government
Primary and general elections:
Support candidates who:
• Want to fund government IT modernization
• Support automatic tax filing
• Want Medicare for All (eliminate insurance inefficiency entirely)
• Oppose privatization schemes
• Understand technology and efficiency
Oppose candidates who:
• Push “government doesn’t work” narratives
• Propose privatization
• Underfund government then complain it’s inefficient
• Take money from companies that profit from privatization
THE BOTTOM LINE: EFFICIENCY IS A CHOICE
Government is not inherently inefficient.
Inefficiency is created through:
• Underfunding
• Outdated technology
• Deliberate sabotage
• Refusing to use modern tools (AI, automation)
The technology to make government dramatically MORE efficient than private alternatives exists RIGHT NOW.
The only barriers are political will and corporate lobbying.
Private companies don’t want efficient government because:
• Efficient government eliminates justification for privatization
• Privatization is extremely profitable
• They spend millions lobbying to keep government inefficient
The “government is inefficient” narrative is propaganda designed to justify extraction.
Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Every time someone says “government doesn’t work,” ask:
• Why doesn’t it work?
• Is it underfunded?
• Is it using outdated systems?
• Could modern technology fix it?
• Who benefits from keeping it broken?
The answer is almost always: Corporate interests benefit from broken government.
Fix the government, and you threaten their profits.
That’s why they fight so hard to keep it broken.
CONNECTING TO THE SERIES
Part 20: Showed you monopolies extract wealth through market power
Part 21: Showed you how they sabotage public alternatives
Part 22: Showed you how media hides this from you
Part 23: Shows you that the main justification for all of this—”government is inefficient”—is a lie
The extraction is coordinated.
The sabotage is deliberate.
The media covers it up.
And the excuse is false.
Now you know.
In our final parts, we’ll bring this all together:
What do we actually DO about this? How does the bottom 90% organize across partisan lines to demand change?
That’s where we’re going.
But first, understand this:
Government could work beautifully. The technology exists. The resources exist.
They choose not to make it work because broken government justifies privatization, and privatization generates massive profits.
You’re told government is inefficient so you’ll accept corporate extraction as inevitable.
It’s not inevitable.
It’s a choice they’re making.
And we can choose differently.
Even that's Odd 
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