ABSTRACT
Empirical data will never refute ideological objections to privatization, of the sort identified and discussed in Chapter 2. The proponents are arguing from a different premise. However, there are other critics of privatization who are at the same time profoundly uncomfortable at the waste, squalor, brutality and demoralization of much of the public system. Sensible and rigorous evaluations of the comparative performance of the two systems could sway their judgement. By the same token, there are some protagonists of privatization who could never be dissuaded by data, whilst the continuing support of others may be influenced by the cogency of the research evidence.
