Why Are We Paying More For Less In America?

This video essay explores how America's shift towards neoliberalism has affected access to essential government services, making them more expensive. The analysis covers the sell off of public assets and the impact on public policy. The video also touches on the decline of public finance and the rise of privatization. America didn’t get more expensive. It got privatized.** Schools. Roads. Healthcare. Water. Internet. Libraries. These used to be public goods—funded by taxes, available to everyone. Now? They’re products sold back to you. You pay more but get less. Here’s how it happened: Government defunds a public service. Service declines. Media calls it “inefficient.” Private company steps in, promises “innovation.” Fees rise. Quality drops. No one’s accountable. You lose control. They profit. Sounds familiar? Education vouchers? They funnel money away from public schools. Private prisons? They need full beds to stay profitable. Healthcare? Denials mean more profits for insurers. Toll roads? Sold off for 75 years to foreign companies that hike tolls nonstop. Clean water? Corporations buy it cheap, bottle it, and sell it back to you. It's not about efficiency. It's about turning your basic needs into billion-dollar markets. And if you don’t pay? Too bad. You lose out. Ask yourself: Who benefits when public goods disappear? Not you. Not your neighbors. Not your kids. You want a functioning society? You need strong public systems. Clean water should serve people, not profit margins. Kids should go to well-funded schools, not be sold “school choice.” Healthcare should heal, not bankrupt. The good news? This isn’t inevitable. People are fighting back. Cities are reclaiming water systems. Locals are building broadband. Voters are rejecting privatization deals. If you think none of this affects you, look around. Everything you rely on is at risk. Stop thinking like a consumer. Start thinking like a citizen. Follow if you want to understand what’s really happening to public life in America. Like, comment, share, and SUBSCRIBE... #ReclaimThePublic #PublicGoods #EconomicJustice #AntiPrivatization #ThinkLikeACitizen #NotAConsumer #EducationForAll #WaterIsARight #HealthcareNotProfit #SystemicChange