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In 2005, the Bush Administration embarked on a major effort to privatize Social Security. A coordinated campaign, including a variety of organizations, was able to mobilize many people to systematically apply pressure to halt this large national privatization proposal. Ultimately, H.R. 3304 failed to reach a vote in the House and the Bush Administration had to abandon its goal of privatizing the Social Security program.
On September 16, 2007, employees of military contractor Blackwater USA opened fire in a Baghdad traffic circle called Nisoor Square. They killed at least 14 Iraqi civilians and injured many more. This bloody incident illustrates the lack of proper oversight by the government in many military contracts and the difficulties associated with holding the companies and their employees accountable when crimes or misdeeds occur. This case also involves corruption. In November 2009, reports surfaced that shortly after the shooting, Blackwater executives attempted to buy off Iraqi government officials to ensure that their license to operate in Iraq was not revoked. There have been many other allegations of abuses and illegal activities by Blackwater. Several of these examples and links to additional information follow the description of the Nisoor Square shooting incident
