This blog was inspired by Arundhati Roy’s book Capitalism. A Ghost Story. It is a collection of short stories about life in India. Indeed, it is a VERY scary book [Youtube interview with Arundhati Roy], especially if we look South of the border, to the United States.
‘In a nation of 1.2 billion, India’s one hundred richest people own assets equivalent to one-fourth of the GDP‘. p.7
At the opposite end of the demographic spectrum, we have rural Nova Scotia. I have identified a few of the concerns that have crossed my desk in the last week or two.
The Municipality of Annapolis County is seeking a solution to the demand for high-speed Internet. Meanwhile, i-Valley is evaluating different alternatives.
The provincial Department of Natural Resources has responsibility for forest practices across the province. A recent hike along North Mountain, above Bridgetown, illustrated the challenges faced by both humans and wildlife, in traversing the trash left by clearcutting. We still await the Lahey report; an independent review of forest practices in Nova Scotia.
On the economic development front, The Centre for Local Prosperity is promoting EconoUS 2018 in its latest newsletter, as ‘an economy that works for all‘.
We are beset by water quality issues, related to our geology, giving us high levels of arsenic and uranium, especially on South Mountain.
Today, the Municipality of Annapolis County is threatening to withdraw from Valley Waste Resources. Thus we may lose our garbage delivery. This information has been conveyed through an online newsletter and video.
We live in a world with a multitude of multi-media communication tools; be it podcasts, YouTube video, online courses, Twitter, LinkedIn or FaceBook.
The uncertainty, defined through these technologies, can lead to an increase in anxiety for our rural communities. They may lead to a false sense of community engagement. This aligns well with the picture described by Roy, under a plutocratic Capitalism in India where a small group of individuals or organizations are controlling the lives of a rural population. These new technologies can be used to improve the health of communities or they can be used to exploit the community resources. The choice is ours. Again, a VERY scary proposition — A Ghost story.
As usual, thanks to Edward Wedler for his editorial comments and graphics.
References
Arundhati Roy.2014. Capitalism. A Ghost Story. Haymarket Books.
Centre for Local Prosperity. Newsletter dated August 13, 2018 www.centreforlocalprosperity.ca
The Municipality of Annapolis County. Newsletter and video. Referenced August 13, 2018. https://annapoliscounty.ca
Ernest Blair Experiment 
Nice analogy! A sad addition to your line of thought is that we are a ghost story in a very small graveyard. Does Nova Scotia have enough people to cover off all the lines of expertise needed to succeed in an Innovation Economy?
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Welcome to the Brave New World!
P
Sent from my iPad
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