On October 15th and 16th, prairie naturalist and award-winning author Trevor Herriot spoke on behalf of the Saskatchewan office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Trevor's presentation, "All Flesh is Grass," provides us with both an urgent plea to reverse the ecological destruction of our natural prairie and a way forward to a more sustainable and ecologically sound agricultural practice in our province.
Download the transcript below.
Corporations and corporate power
One of the most perverse aspects of Canadian society is the way that organized labour and other progressive organizations are dismissed as special interest groups and marginalized in public discourse about the political issues that affect the general population. This attitude is entrenched in all political jurisdictions and it is reflected in reports and commentary in the mainstream media, the statements of right-wing politicians, right-wing organizations like the Fraser Institute, the Frontier Institute, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and various business organizations.
For Canadians wondering about our preparedness for a major oil spill, an item in The Montreal Gazette (June 6) was not reassuring. It stated that Canada was sending “half of its stock of oil containment boom – some 3,000 meters (1.8 miles) of material” to help with BP’s disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. As one environmentalist told me, “That’s hardly enough boom to protect one of the Toronto islands. If that’s our stock, we’re in deep trouble.”
What do Canadian corporations do with their profits? It’s an important question, since it’s fair to assume that most workers want to see at least some benefit from the billions of dollars in wealth that they sweat to produce.
Most working people likely believe that corporations and their managers and shareholders deserve a fair return on their investments and expertise. But they also want reasonable benefits for their country, their communities, their families, and themselves.
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”
--Heraclitus, 535 BC-475 BC.
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While on my summer vacation, I try to isolate myself for a few weeks from the worsening global troubles that beset us all. But this year, try as I might to lose myself in light-reading thrillers and fantasies, worrisome news from the real world kept obtruding.
It was impossible to avoid newspaper and TV reports of BP’s Gulf oil spill, the Harper government’s irresponsible scrapping of the mandatory census form, the continuing economic slump, and the devastating effects of floods, forest fires, and other environmental disasters around the world.
Did you know that parents want their children to have access to well-stocked libraries in their schools? Were you aware that they’re very concerned that provincial governments aren’t doing enough to ensure that there’s enough money to pay for these books and libraries? Or that increasingly teachers have to dig into their own pockets ($453 on average) to compensate for funding that just isn’t there?
Faced with a corporate-dominated mediascape and perceived editorial indifference or hostility, trade unions and other progressive Canadian organizations have responded pragmatically when they need to influence public opinion. They have adopted media relations strategies, often run by specialized staff, to gain whatever space is available in the news media; they have used paid advertising in advocacy campaigns; and they have created their own media, from in-house newsletters to websites and social media.
The devastating impacts of climate change are clear. But there are disturbing revelations about how global elites are tackling the issue. Al Gore—on one hand — promotes carbon emissions trading and green technologies as a solution, and—on the other—profits handsomely from his timely investments in those same initiatives. Infamous climate change skeptic Bjørn Lomborg recommends free market solutions to fight global poverty and disease.
Despite the 2008 financial meltdown, the World Trade Organization continues to negotiate new rules that would promote foreign takeover of domestic banks and more deregulation. WTO advocates are using Canada to argue that a country can liberalize its financial sector yet suffer comparatively less from financial shocks.
This study by CCPA Research Associate Ellen Gould shows how the opposite conclusion should be drawn from the Canadian experience, since limits Canada placed on its WTO liberalization were key to stabilizing the banking system during the financial crisis.