>If you go for a thing directly you show your hand and get a lot of backlash. In this context, it is exactly how politics work, and you have described shifting

>If you go for a thing directly you show your hand and get a lot of backlash. In this context, it is exactly how politics work, and you have described shifting the Overton window or even floating the Trial balloon. re: NHS. The case you are making doesn't fit your reasoning. As for privatisation in general, the current government is following a very basic rulebook: 1. Sabotage/kneecap an institution/ 2. Offer a solution involving cronies/ 3. Achievement Unlocked 1. For example, some Tory MP's (the elite that make the decisions for the plebs) don't need to rely on NHS for healthcare exclusively, hence they have a callous attitude towards it. They deploy all manner of subterfuge, replete with claps, lies and smiles, to starve out a public service funded by taxpayers. 2. The ultimate goal; offer a solution to the problem you manufactured (1) and share the spoils amongst yourselves, by awarding/rewarding and looking after each other's interests. 3. Self-explanatory.