Despite our best conservative arguments - free trade and globalization - is doing little for either side of the economic equation. The third side - large international corporations (faceless nameless and blameless bodies) who manufacture nothing but money - they trade daily at the worlds ticker foyers through the robotic motions of whiz kids enticed by a minute fraction of the spoils.
The West and the East - developed or developing countries are not performing for the population at large. The familiar saying "the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer" is not rhetoric - it is factually correct.
Simple example: Has you salary increased at the same percentage as the increase in the price of oil and gas? Another; if you move to Alberta (a booming economy) how much would you pay for a 3 bedroom bungalow on a cul-de-sac? Do you think it is equal to your rate in pay adjustment? Now take the heads of oil companies, insurance giants, pharmaceuticals ( leglalized pill pushers), and even the lowly FPI (remember the severence of Derrick Rowe) - compare them to the forestry, fishing, farming, and energy workers. The corporations put on a poor mouth and say " we have no choice but to move our operations or sell our products to countries - such as China - and take advantage of their slave labour. Do you see the Chinese government doing likewise? Do you see them privatize natural resources and give a free reign to the Exxon and Chevron's of the world?
OPEC meets on a regular basis to determine how much the consumer will be gouged daily as they jealously guard their control of the free-world. What a joke this is - consider these religious zealots - who have bred the world's terrorists (Saudi Arabia) Usama's homeland - determining for the USA and Canada what our price of oil will be. And then we go to their neighbouring lands who harbour the "terrorists" and protect their "fragile democracy".
You're kidding right?
You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist or any type of theorist to see what's up here. The New World Order is to see the wealth restricted to a limited few - and they are doing a good job of it. The Danny Williams of the world are mini players in a very elite game. He can be the king of his castle, Newfoundland and Labrador, but he is limited to that and even what he can do within it. These people like to build mini-kingdoms where they have and can exercise power - even if for a limited time. His fight against big-oil is noble (I guess) hard to know his real agenda and we can win if we leave it in the ground - but we are losing the battle of jobs and manufacturing to dictatorships around the world.
The Corporate elite - which has controlled federal policy for years - has successfully opened up the marketplace in order to ship all costs to nations which can reduce them. Do you think it's necessary for NIKE to pay less to have sneakers made bearing the name of celebrity basketball stars to ship back to everyday families in Canada and the States to gouge even more from them. The advertising is brilliant and it sets the tone for the markets - thus the kids have to have this brand or that - and if some parent dare say "let's buy Canadian or American" they are seen as protectionist and worse still "out of style" "left wing fanatics".
Then there's the like of ENRON whose execs thought nothing of destroying the lives of pensioners who honestly worked for a living. They are the tip of the iceberg, how about the banks - including our own who invest in ventures such as Canary Wharf and lose tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. Then they raise the cost for me and you to withdraw from the ATM to cover the loss. The Americans have put a couple of them in jail but the riches remain with the family for their kids.
As for the insurance industry - Danny has completely capitulated here - hard to know for what reason... Could be the continual political lobby they perform - when you and your council or small business find it hard to get a meeting with the Premier. Could be the man made a fortune through personal injury claims and his ex-partners want the flow to keep coming. In either case the great insurance reforms have not materialized and the media has let that one float away while caught up in Danny's rainbow or for some (who are not the radio talk queen) jobs in the communications division of some Department. Funny how the local newsies don't do a story on their buds. Could it be they want the same opportunity.
Remember the rant Rowe was on when I completed a contract for the Libs under Grimes. This piece of work was relative to equalization and was a normal consulting contract which many firms and individuals have completed for various governments now and in the past. Well - where was the scrutiny when Rowe became Danny's champion and Roger's nemesis during the last provincial election? It was obvious to most that Bill was playing favorites and then right on the heels of the coronation - Rowe was off to Ottawa for a stint under the Premier. Did that job boost his provincial pension? It certainly was not volunteer work. Now back in Newfoundland and Labrador he may as well be selling the House resettlement agenda by making statements such as suggesting that youth should go away to work - better opportunities. Great Bill - he apparently can't come up with anything else.
Back to the original idea - take the Pope and the ridiculous lifestyle of grandeous he leads - kissing of the rings bowing and scraping to a man who represents the humility of God. Great we should all be so humble. And people wonder why we fight. This bowing and scraping in front of one of the richest institutions in the world - who fought like the "devil" to keep victims of Mount Cashel from their court awarded or agreed to settlements. The Pope who rides in a bullet proof concoction (can't figure that one out) living in the great digs the Vatican provides while children starve in Africa or suffer from AIDS. It takes President Clinton to pry a few free pills from the pharmaceuticals.
What does the consortium ask of Williams for a deal on Hebron? They need tax breaks. And then there is the incestuous political community that protects its own. The Liberals and NDP staying mum on the HOA scandal because they too have people implicated. Has anybody bothered to try and collect what the AG has determined are overpayments? No. Why not, if it were you or me - they would have the house and car by now and probable a piece of your paycheck - which by the way we are still paying these MHA's who have gone into legal retreat. Who represents these districts now?
I miss Wally asking for a gymnasium and arts centre - I miss Ed crapping all over anybody who dare challenge him on let's say energy issues. And Randy - Labrador fell silent!
No you see the brainwashing of the corporations has worked and even the potential strength of the electorate has been diminished to a mere whimper begging Ottawa and the province to give them their own money.
We have people who want to harness the wind that blows around you and own it - and if you and I dare to say why can't the people own and develop the resource to benefit two ways - cheaper consumer costs for people and the profits go back to the people - they tell us we are socialists - what a load! If you and I want to make money from common resources they call us socialists if we give it to a corporation then we are being progressive and doing the right thing. What's with that nonsense - you and I want money for education and health, roads and infrastructure - we either have to pay tax or make money from resources - a combination of both is fine with less tax to people and more money from our natural wealth. But no the corps want to own the resources and pay us a piddly bit of tax. Then we can beg them for a few jobs which they are likely to be shipped to China or Korea.
Wake-up will you before the brains of a few power hungry inept men own the planet we live on. On that note who do we get permission from to stop the pollution which is poisoning our children?
You think somebody is going to do this for you - that is why we have David Suzuki's - don't be so damn lazy and become part of the answer. There's more to being a parent than a roof over the head and shoes on the feet.
Oh and Oprah - let me scrape and bow to you for taking 10% of your net worth and donating to charity such as girls in Africa - I hope you can get by with the few billion you have left. Poor old Bill Gates is so wrought with guilt he semi-retired because he could not hire enough people to give his money away. What's he gonna do with the remaining billions? They can all go to church and thank god for choosing them to be rich while those children suffering in Africa have been chosen to suffer. You laughing or crying yet?
Then you hear garbage like you can't say stuff just cause they got money! Your damn right we can! And don't try pushing your corporate bull*&*& down my throat. We are Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and if Dean or Ed or Steve can own a damn river or wind so can we - start passing out the resources Danny because they are not going to be prioritized based on a game of golf.
I almost forgot the Queen - her majesty - of what? Scandal plagued family with all types of sordid affairs and varying preferences. This woman who ascended to the throne - with jewels in the chest and Charles in love with Camilla like we should all be caught up in this. Well this wealthy lady was chosen to be rich and reign over the kingdom - which I'm sure Ed Roberts is jealous of - and he who sits in a House on Military Road performing regal functions while rural Newfoundland and Labrador burns - in part from his contribution to politics. Now I must say we should all get a Queen and a Pope as they provide great tourist trade but barring that - I think nature will take its course and evolution will take that out of us. I give the Queen one thing - at least in her elite world her children serve in the armed forces.
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