At what point do we look at necessities and say "That now belongs to everybody"?

I'm watching a show on History that, since it's the History channel, has nothing to do with history. If you want history, go to the Arts & Entertainment channel, idiot.

But it's about the crumbling of the infrastructure in America, and they're talking about the power grid now. And I had the thought (as they pointed out) that electricity is the lifeblood of our country and our way of life. If we lost the electricity, our whole country (and the western world, really, but we're talking the US here) would be totally fucked.

And then I thought that Since electricity is so fucking important now; since it has become in many ways, as essential as food, water, and shelter, is there a point that it should become a publicly owned thing, like our water systems? As we have municipal water supplies, and public roadways, should we not at some point take power generation from the for-profit businesses and make it a public resource?

Can Dune offer us a parable for our time of what happens when a few entities control that which is necessary for life?

rates are pretty reasonable.

there are lots of private water companies

Basic necessities like food, housing, energy, health care, should be owned and controlled by the people.

In this day and age access to information is as vital to our Democracy as is food and water. All communications networks, backbones and infrastructure should be publicly owned. Companies (like TV stations, ISPs, etc.) should pay the gov't to be licensed info providers but the airwaves and the communication lines need to belong to the people.

call it Pravda!

What do you mean it's been done before? well how did it turn out? :sarcasm:

before now costs us $50. I don't feel sick anymore when we get our power bill...

so yes, our infrastructure belongs to all of us as members of the cooperative.

And I do believe you are absolutely correct that any power generation not currently belonging to the people of their area should be turned out of the for-profit systems.

This was exactly the issue that got Kucinich falsely branded as having "bankrupted" Cleveland.

:hi: