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"This is worst than bad. It's sick. It is also something we can expect a lot more of, on several fronts.What we have here is a city run by an un-elected mayor appointed by a right wing governor. This action is a warning for several trends we can expect from rapacious, predator capitalists.Bigger implications of Detroit's water shut-off
Shock Doctrine -- break down the community, the support structures, break the unions, de-regulate and bring in outside corporations and big-money investors. Naomi Klein described it and it's been done again and again, first in third world countries where the US appointed dictators, now in a major city where a right wing Governor appoints a dictator. There is a predictable Shock Doctrine script which Naomi Klein has described. It looks alot like what's been happening to Detroit.
Privatization of resources-- we've seen this in other nations, where they attempt to privatize the commons, including water. Many are speculating that Detroit is attempting to sell its water operation to a private buyer.
Raising prices so the poor can't afford to live in prime real estate areas. The water rates in Detroit are almost double the average in the rest of the nation.
Creating predatory economies of community destruction: It happened with the housing collapse. After people lost their homes because of derivatives, corporations and the wealthy came in and bought them at bargain prices and turned them into rental properties.
Killing poor people- Let's call a spade a spade. Shutting off utilities can kill people. That's why humane cities offer special arrangements for the poor for heating. They don't shut off the heat."
Comment: Wow. Robert Sorokanich is either a paradoxical illiterate who can write but not read, or a shameless propagandist. "Widely-held fact"? Hardly! There hasn't even been an investigation yet, and no hard evidence has come to light. Even the Ukrainian Prosecutor General says the rebels did not have the Buk missile system. But apparently this guy knows better...