"The Cult of Impotence" - by Linda McQuaig, is another of her serious exposés that reads like a thriller. "The popular belief is that we [the Canadian government and the Canadian people] can't have [jobs, social programs ... ] because of factors beyond our control -- because globalization and technology have left us powerless to achieve them. ... in fact the international community has the tools to regulate the world financial system in a way that would harness its enormous energy to our collective advantage. This was done before - for three prosperous decades after the Second World War- and can be done again. ... " I particularly like the way that McQuaig demystifies usually heavy subjects like: Keynes' and Friedman's opposing views on Economic theory; the unnecessary choice between unemployment and inflation; the parts played by the Bank of Canada Governors, particularly Coyne, Crow and Thiessen; the parts played by the "black hats" like Martin, Chretien and chief Finance bureaucrat David Dodge; the parts played by the "white hats" like William Vickery, Douglas Peters, and Rodney Schmidt, whose advocacy of the Tobin tax on short-term financial transactions Martin chooses to ignore. My only criticism is that, like most Canadians, she fails to recognise the key part that Direct Democracy can play in making government accountable to the people: "… through a SYSTEM of citizen-initiated binding referendums whereby voters can directly amend, introduce and remove policies and laws." A great read!! Colin Stark Vice-President Canadians for Direct Democracy Vancouver, B.C. http://www.npsnet.com/cdd/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] (listserv)
