I was fascinated on my recent trip to the UK to learn how much of their infrastructure they'd privatized semi-recently. Trains, hm, well it kinda works in Japan so maybe not so bad, but, water and SEWAGE??? In what universe does it make sense to have one of the most critical infrastructure systems, the backbone of health for a city, participate in a marketplace? Insanity. Not to mention the fact that at the end of the day only a government could possibly have the ability and authority and budget to run new lines or the motivation to do maintenance. What's next, pay per poop?

It’s ironic that after British Rail was privatized, many UK rail services ended up being run by subsidiaries of other European state railways: French SNCF, Dutch NS, Italian Trenitalia, and so on. Turns out the state knows something about running trains after all.

It makes perfect sense. The capitalists can constrain the supply, push up prices.

And we Brits don't revolt – even protesting is highly legally-risky these days.

Is there a better country to do such things? I don't think so

More likely they'll hand out laxatives and ask people to help solve some fertilization crisis out there in the fields...

And there'll be commercials - Scotland - Heavy rain (horizontal) - A woman totally drenched (with baby in hands) - In panic - Warning about the impending water crisis.