It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Originally posted by Lemon.Fresh
reply to post by SonicInfinity
Complaints if you necro a thread because of search, and complaints if you don't necro a thread. Damned of you do or don't.
At least I helped one person to deny ignorance with this thread.
Now off to go read those threads. Thank you for the links.edit on 8/16/2011 by Lemon.Fresh because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by RDeeDee
reply to post by Lemon.Fresh
In all honesty, I find this whole Serco fixation to be a tad ridiculous. They are not the monsters under your bed waiting to attack you when you turn out the light. They are not in league with the illuminati, plotting the demise of all you consider sacred. They are simply a corporation aimed at deriving profit.
I should point out that they are, in fact, a service company. They enter into contracts with governments (usually over a 5 year term) to deliver agreed-upon services. For the most part, the don't own anything (e.g. the prisons/hospitals/detention centres that they run). Governments enter into these kinds of arrangements all the time for two main reasons:
1) It's cheaper. In times of economic hardship companies like Serco thrive because governments cannot afford to provide the levels of service demanded by their own citizens. They have to cut corners somewhere, hence they outsource. Serco doesn't have any real power. If they don't tow the line they are out the door and another contractor takes their place.
2) It presents a suitable scapegoat. You may notice that companies like Serco do not directly defend themselves in the media. This is because they are bound by contract not to discuss anything relating to the work that they do. This puts them over a barrel because it's easy for governments and media commentators to point the finger of blame in their direction when things don't go as planned. In most cases, the governments will be privately commending their efforts while publicly criticising them. This is because the arrangement works to the government's advantage. It also works to Serco's advantage as they are being paid for it.