On the Commodification of Nearly Everything

Will our future be more privatized or recommonized? Only we can decide.

A fall hike in Mont Orford, Quebec. I paid to access this trail, like most in Quebec. (photo by author)

I swiped my card to enter the mall, the 50 cent toll to enter the fancy new complex deducting from my credit card. It was cheaper than taking my car, since I would have passed three privatized roads with their tolls. There was also the fact that I did not want to renew my tech subscription for the electric car I purchased last year, meaning I couldn’t use the navigation system anymore.

I just needed a new frying pan. Entering Canadian Tire, I looked at the options. There was a subscription plan for most frying pans now. Or I could pay an extra fee to buy the more durable one. My phone dinged, air tax payment due tomorrow. Oh yeah, we had to pay a monthly fee for the clean air filtration system our city bought from .

Before leaving the mall I decided to get a drink of water from the nearby fountain. I looked down at the metal frame and the plaque above it, “Property of Blackrock Aquaworks Co.,” it read. I swiped my credit card again on the pay machine next to it; one dollar for fountain water. I let the tap run as I gulped as much as possible from the spout before heading to the bus stop.

Since the 2029 election, our government had largely sold out to the highest bidder. As public infrastructure crumbled, skilled…