both ultimately and day-to-day. And, as Jerome points out, waste disposal ends up in the state's lap, as well. Let's just cut out the middleman - and I use the word advisedly as they are not entrepreneurs in any sense of the word - in some cases. Energy - particularly nuclear-based energy generation - is a clear-cut case in this regard. Without a broad, public debate and stake in energy, we get petroleum-until-it-runs-out, then coal-until-we-choke-on-the-acid-rain; we get Enron and Exxon; and we get TV ads telling us how 'green' they all are.

Governments are not cure-alls, but the current debacles are primarily brought to us by the Exxons of the world - including their unhealthy level of control of some governments. Time to swing the pendulum; the trick will be to keep and enlarge the democratic components of the process.

paul spencer