Hey there Cyberspace.
I don't know if you've noticed, but I seem to be writing this blog quite randomly now. I probably should have been a little more dedicated, but alas...I've decided to keep it this way. I feel as though the quality of my posts can only go up if I'm inspired.
And today I was inspired. It's funny how some things stick with you. We were discussing persuasion in class this morning and someone mentioned something about the public opinion of Nova Scotia Power (Emera, I know...I'm still gonna call it NS Power). Obviously this led to a "NS Power is a tyrant" type of discussion which was, although extremely brief, very potent to me.
The thought that invaded my mind was something to the effect of 'Is NS Power worse than any other company in my province?' The answer is no. I thought about Irving...how Irving has asked to up its rates to wholesalers in NS by about 1.3 cents per litre...which would inevitably lead to an increase of more than 1.3 cents per litre for consumers. But no. They didn't fit my criteria either (I don't necessarily HAVE to rely on either of these corporations). It began to dawn on me why these corporations would be among the first to pop into my head.
Obviously it's because of the connotation...everyone thinks these are the worst of all, especially Nova Scotia Power, who actually holds a monopoly on the energy service in NS (Irving and Sunoco are the only real competitors in the fuel market I believe...but please let me know if you know more) and in a capitalist society, monopolies must be frowned upon. I mean, Bill Gates' Microsoft (please don't comment about him stealing ideas and whatnot) held such a monopoly that the US government essentially deemed it illegal.
Now, when it comes to consumption, we all use power....we all use gas. Are these things completely essential to our survival? It's arguable either way, I'm not going to get into that right now...but there are certain things that are absolutely essential to survival...water, air and food. Water we can get from the tap, even at a public restroom if need be and air is well...air (for now...I'm waiting for someone to bottle it and capitalize, just like in the movie 'The Lorax').
Pretty much everyone I know gets their food from grocery stores. Some of us get stuff at local markets and whatnot, but the majority of people get their food from grocery stores. Grocery stores that buy low, sell high as every retail business does. But should they be allowed to do so, knowing that everyone HAS to have their product in order to survive?
It would really suck, but I could live without power. If I don't want to, there's really only one option for me - NS Power. I could live without gas...it would probably be better for my health if I were to walk or bike everywhere...but I'm far too lazy for that.
I CAN'T live without food. What I can live without is somebody profiting off of that fact. Every single time I leave the grocery store, I look at what I bought, what I think it's worth and how much I've spent. There hasn't been a single time I haven't been disappointed (seemed like an appropriate time for a double negative) and felt as though I should get more bang for my buck.
I would offer a solution, but I'm sure you already know what it is. The government should feed its people. Seems simple enough to me...it should probably be the top priority of any budget. But instead, we'll buy some old fighter jets that we'll probably never use, just like those submarines sitting in Halifax Harbour. Guess what else? If the government employed farmers, almost everything would be local. Transportation costs would go down, food production would go up. If I had no grocery bill, I wouldn't be opposed to paying a food tax. But we all know that this would never be allowed to happen, so I won't offer it as a plausible course of action.
This is getting very long, and I could go on for much longer, but I will choose to end it now. I'll leave you with this to think about the next time you're pushing a cart through Sobeys or Superstore - capitalism means the bottom line trumps all...one corporation is no more guilty than the next...and a government is supposed to take care of the essential needs of the people, that's why it exists.
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!
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