I appreciated Kieth Hudson's posts, especially the last paragraph of his most recent. "What politicians have got to realise -- but, like all members of dead institutions, are constitutionally unable to do -- is that the existing political systems are pretty well stone dead. A revolution of one sort or another is necessary -- and will undoubtedly happen -- but by whom and when is quite another matter." Keith Hudson I don't know about revolution, but an economic reformation equal to the 16th century protestant reformation may be neccessary. If we cast the banking institutions in the role of the R.C. Church 'of that time', and the BIS in the role of the Vatican's clerical bureaucracy 'of that time', the way to achieve it is to simply "deinstitutionalize' the economic power. It means that power must flow from the people to the rulers, with proper and effective limitations on the arbitrary exercise of power at each level of governance. Following is a recent letter to the Editor of the Toronto Star I hesitated to copy to the FW list. The ombud was courteous enough to reply ==================== To the Editor of The Toronto Star. 2000/1/12 : Your lead editorial Jan 11th exemplifies the extent to which Parliamentary Democracy has been corrupted in Canada. A media depiction has become the myth and the myth the practice. Your reference to the Reform Party as "Canada's Official Opposition" invites a gross public misunderstanding of what democracy is and how it should work. In a Parliamentary Democracy power flows from the people to the legislature which is the supreme power. The Cabinet is the Executive Branch of the legislature and serves with the permission and at the pleasure of the legislature. The loyal (not official) opposition is comprised of all the elected members of the legislature who are not sworn as members of the Cabinet. Designating a political party as the "Official Opposition" calls into being and sanctifies the concept of a "Governing Party" and confuses the MP's about their correct role as represenatives of their electors and not incorrectly as representives of political parties. When a system has been corrupted, knowing and willing participants must by default be painted with the same brush. I am surprised at the exceptionally large numbers of the electorate who still participate in this sham democracy. Surprised to the same extent as the media pretends to be at the number of electors who ignore the process. Ed Goertzen 607 Pinewood St Oshawa, ON,CA L1G 2S2 905-576-6699 ====================== At , you wrote: >Ed Goertzen: > >The editorial was correct. The Reform party is Canada's Official Opposition party. According to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, in Canada and Britain the official opposition is ``the opposition party which has the most seats and is thereby granted certain parliamentary privileges.'' One of those is the right to ask the first question during the daily question period. >Regards, >Don Sellar, Ombud, The Star, (416) 869-4950 ==================== Hi Don: I much appreciate your correction. My point was refering more to the original theory of how parliamentary democracy was intended to work than the practice that has evolved and is been engaged in. If more people would take the time to correct percieved error as you did, the world would be a much better place. My thanks. Ed G ====================
