We in Ontario have had 7 years of this with Harris' neo-cons. I guess the provinces are just following nations: Thatcher in the UK, then Reagan/Bush/Clinton/W.Bush in US, New Zealand, Howard- Australia, Mulrooney,Chretien - Canada. Bill Moyer's PBS special last night "Trading Democracy" suggests to me that David Korten's book "When Corporations Rule the World" can get rid of the 'When'.
Brian McAndrews >A most astute analysis of BC Politics. Yes it is our favourite sport next >to hockey but Campbell has gone beyond the usual "party fun" with a >campaign of lies and mean-spiritedness the likes of which we have not seen >in living memory. >FWP > >On Wed, 6 Feb 2002, Ed Weick wrote: > >> Mike Gurstein: >> >> > Campbell didn't so much win the BC election (the Liberals lost the >> previous >> > BC election largely because of fear and loathing for Campbell personally) >> > rather, the NDP (mild Social Democrats) imploded after 8 years, with a >> > completely discredited Premier (under charges for corruption), an >> exhausted >> > and demoralized set of MLA's, and a party which had completely run out of >> > ideas and energy. >> > >> > Keith's dog running for AB-NDP (Anything But the NDP) would have won in a >> > similar landslide. >> > >> > What's interesting of course, is that a similar implosion destroyed the >> > previous right wing Government (complete with Premier under charges for >> > corruption) 8 years hence. The lurches from right to left to right are a >> > (sad) characteristic of BC politics and are a source of appalled amazement >> > to many (most) BC taxpayers, and in the current instance are causing very >> > serious concern in all political camps in the Province. (Campbell's >> > approval rating is currently roughly half what it was six months ago at >> the >> > time of the election.) >> >> I once worked with a former Secretary General of BC Federation of Labour >> whose take on BC politics was that you have to look at it as entertainment. >> You'll go nuts if you take it seriously. >> >> Keith Hudson: >> >> > What puzzles me is why your comments should have been triggered by the >> > quote of Keynes to Hayek (below). When Keynes was saying that some >> > politicians want planning in order to serve the devil, he was agreeing >> with >> > Hayek's apprehensions that the Labour Party in England might bring in a >> > sufficient level of planning which would then bring about the sort of >> > totalitarian society that was taking place in Stalin's Soviet Russia. I >> > don't understand why this should have triggered your characterisation of >> > Gordon Campbell's "cut, slash and burn" policies as not planning. They >> > sound like de-planning to me, or perhaps de-over-planning. >> >> As Mike Gurstein suggested I was commenting on Campbell as an ideologue. >> Much like the planners in Russia, what his government is doing is driven by >> a punitive and destructive ideology that makes little sense in terms of BC's >> present realities. It's gone beyond the norms of politics as entertainment. >> >> Ed >> >> -- ************************************************** * Brian McAndrews, Practicum Coordinator * * Faculty of Education, Queen's University * * Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 * * FAX:(613) 533-6596 Phone (613) 533-6000x74937* * e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * "Education is not the filling of a pail, * * but the lighting of a fire. * * W.B.Yeats * * * **************************************************
