Twice in one week, Indians were forced to endure the worst blackouts in their nation's history. Two consecutive incidents, for reasons as yet undetermined, left hundreds of millions of people without power.

Whatever the specific causes, the failures are basic: Indian politicians refuse to fix a power system, which makes no economic sense. Too many people get power at prices that bear no relation to the cost of providing electricity.

Failure is unavoidable. The question now is whether the blackouts — affecting 10 percent of the global population and thus the worst in history — will trigger long-needed change. India's future could hang in the balance.