this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2026
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[–] IcePee@lemmy.beru.co 33 points 3 days ago (5 children)

I see an interesting parallel to the nationalisation of UK coal back in the day. Basically, the collieries prior to nationalisation were critically mismanaged. So, the government bought them off the private hands. However, the valuation was too high for an outright purchase, so the Government bought the infrastructure in installments. This meant that as an award to the previous owners for severe mismanagement they got regular income without having to do anything to get it.

I think there's a lesson in there, some where.

[–] Tweak@feddit.uk 1 points 1 day ago

And then, with the industry under national control, they arrange for it to be critically mismanaged again to use it as justification for the private sector to buy it back so they can "fix it". However, this time they have to sell it cheap, because it's critically mismanaged and the private sector won't buy an apparently failing business otherwise.

The real conspiracy is that it's always the same groups looking to get in and "mismanage" the business, for the benefit of extracting wealth.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

Just not one we’d like to be learned

[–] Horse@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 3 days ago

yeah, don't buy them, just take them

[–] northernscrub@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

honestly, if the end result is public ownership, I don't particularly care how it is achieved. With the number of infrastructural issues and the catastrophic loss of potable water as a result, any means is appropriate. Money is constructable, life is finite.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

Yeah, let the EU run things instead of local fuckwits.