GlobalAware Update

Blackouts & Community Spirit by Dr. Leslie Jermyn

By the time you read this, most of the areas affected by the biggest blackout in North American history will be restored to full power. But wherever you are in the world, don’t think that you will be unaffected even if your power supply remained constant because the conditions that created this crisis are replicated everywhere: privatization, deregulation, politico-corporate hijacking of the idea of public utility and public good. As I predicted, we are already hearing about forecasted rate hikes to cover rehabilitation of an aging power infrastructure ? something that should already have been underway but wasn’t because the private power companies would rather pay their shareholders than supply reliable energy to their ratepayers. Sigh? it’s all so predictable I have to say and repetitive, it’s the same story around the developed and developing world.

Humour me, I’d like to make another prediction: we will continue to accept the econo-babble of the corporate and political talking heads rather than insist on tighter regulation of industry. We will forget or simply never bother to learn what caused this particular problem in the first place and continue to elect politicians willing to prostitute the public good for private gain. Don’t misunderstand me, we will scrutinize the immediate cause of Blackout 03 until we are collectively bored witless by the physics of electricity, cascades, transformers etc. and heads will no doubt roll, but we won’t hear much about the real causes: corporate greed and government complicity.

I know we’re in the dog days of August and life should be carefree and lazy, but we can’t let them off the hook on this one. For many, the blackout caused minor inconvenience and disrupted plans but was essentially a small adventure in rough living. We rediscovered LBT (life before television) and maybe met a neighbour or two. That’s good, in fact, it’s great, but it isn’t the story for everyone. Some people are still stuck in high rises with no power or water and many had to throw out food with no space in the budget to replace it. There will be a death toll from Blackout 03. All of those who suffered deserve more than a return to business politics and political business as usual.

Let’s remember our newfound sociability, community spirit and sense of adventure when we go to the polls. Let’s choose candidates willing to be truly adventurous in these neoliberal days; candidates willing to force corporations to protect their customers and workers ahead of their shareholders. Let’s demonstrate our community with the victims by forcing government and corporations to be accountable.

Dr. Leslie Jermyn Comment on the energy crisis to

August 2003