The conservative vision of utopia (touted by many of the GOP candidates in this election) is a society in which most government agencies are privatized, and unfettered free enterprise reigns supreme.

Here’s a look at what that vision means in the real world: Tennessee County’s Subscription-Based Firefighters Watch As Family Home Burns Down.

Imagine your home catches fire but the local fire department won’t respond, then watches it burn. That’s exactly what happened to a local family tonight. A local neighborhood is furious after firefighters watched as an Obion County, Tennessee, home burned to the ground.

The homeowner, Gene Cranick, said he offered to pay whatever it would take for firefighters to put out the flames, but was told it was too late. They wouldn’t do anything to stop his house from burning. Each year, Obion County residents must pay $75 if they want fire protection from the city of South Fulton. But the Cranicks did not pay. The mayor said if homeowners don’t pay, they’re out of luck. […]