Should fossil fuels be nationalized?

[Deus Naturae]

All energy should be nationalized and directed by the workers of that sector.

And if those workers decide to massively jack up rates?

[Deus Naturae]

All energy should be nationalized and directed by the workers of that sector.

And if those workers decide to massively jack up rates?

Uh, they'd be no more likely to do that than the bosses who currently run it.  In fact, probably less likely.

No, if they had a monopoly on the industry, as TNF and Ghost_White are proposing, they would be far more likely to do so than companies that have to compete with others to offer lower rates. There's a reason energy companies don't just increase rates by 500% right now. Hint: They'd all be perfectly happy to jack up rates if one company had a monopoly on the entire industry.

[Deus Naturae]

All energy should be nationalized and directed by the workers of that sector.

And if those workers decide to massively jack up rates?

Why would they do that? There's no need to make a profit in a non-profit industry.

Who's to say that the workers wouldn't run it as a for-profit? How else will they get payed?

[Deus Naturae]

All energy should be nationalized and directed by the workers of that sector.

And if those workers decide to massively jack up rates?

Why would they do that? There's no need to make a profit in a non-profit industry.

Who's to say that the workers wouldn't run it as a for-profit? How else will they get payed?

Profit is the amount of money produced in excess of what workers need to sustain themselves. If this proposed entity is non-profit, that means the workers would charge only what it costs them to produce the energy and pay themselves for what it is they work. Without bosses, there's no incentive to force anyone to work extra to generate surplus value (that is, profit), and so everyone gets the monetary value of what it is they produce.

And if workers aren't content with simply making enough to sustain themselves?

[Deus Naturae]

While that possibility would certainly exist in a capitalist market economy, there's no reason to think it would if said cooperative had a monopoly and was specifically denied the power to do so by whatever rules govern its operation.

Ah, so the government would set the rules the cooperative had to follow?

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So rates would be set by each local subdivision of the cooperative? Who would manage the finances of the cooperative at the national level?