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Sunday, 4th January 1998
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A view of the money power and MAI
The MAI is set to be the big issue in 1998.
Today we will look at the MAI (multilateral agreement on investment) issue which is being reviled in the Canadian Parliament by the New Democratic Party (NDP) while the major Canadian Parties support it even though it breaches the country's constitution.
Below is an article looking at this issue from the Canadian perspective:
FROM OVER HERE by ALGY
"There has been a lot of wonderful things said about the struggle of our world's millionaires trying to become billionaires. Almost all of the observations have been in the most uncomplimentary terms. There is a growing awareness and uneasiness in the public over the unending focus on money and power. We have to have some sense of meaning and belonging in our lives based on family, mutual support and ethical and spiritual values, and those are disappearing.
"The moneymen have been the "movers and shakers" of the world during the last 25 years or more. Unfortunately greed has been their only motivation and the rest of us are suffering accordingly. If you don't believe that just compare your buying power of just 10 years ago to that of today. It is well documented that the gap between the poor and the rich is continually getting wider and at an accelerating pace.
"The wealthy are a very difficult force to try and control. To say the top 20 per cent own 40 per cent of the wealth and resources of a country is somewhat misleading because if you own 20 per cent you in truth control far more than that. Money equates into power and power tends to create fuzzy principles. William Blum, author of Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions since WW II, tells us that "Capitalism is the theory that the worst people, acting from their worst motives, will somehow produce the most good."
"Fuzzy thinking by those who, we are told, have all the answers produces some strange statements. On June 24, 1997 Mr. Samuel Hinds, President of Guyana, pointed out to a meeting hosted by Ambassador Razali Ismail, President of the UN General Assembly and Mr. Bjorn Stigson, Executive Director of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, that if he did not cut down his country's forests someone might grow marijuana in them.
"At that same meeting the US representative was Larry Summers, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury and former Chief Economist of the World Bank, who had advocated the shipping of toxic wastes to low income countries because people there die early anyway and they have less income earning potential so their lives are less valuable.
"Closer to home our Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, who is clearly a wannabee Capitalist (SEE Note 1.), stated at the recently held APEC conferences that the agenda is solely about trade and commerce and issues such as the environment, labour and human rights have no relevance there. This is the same guy who said the Canadian government could not tell a Canadian company how it should conduct its business in a foreign country. He was referring, of course, to the monstrous environmental tragedy of Placer Dome Inc.'s in the Philippines which caused the evacuation of some 27 villages.
"Our NDP (New Democratic Party) Government in British Columbia seems to be afflicted with blurred vision. For the last few months it has been cuddling up to the multinational companies and joining them in a feeding frenzy at the dollar table. The Forestry Minister, Mr. Zirnhelt, has admitted the government has allowed the forest industry to cut in excess of a sustainable rate as ".... we did not want to miss an economic opportunity." Premier Glen Clark must have had similar thoughts when he turned down a request from the Peace River farmers to declare the area a disaster area due to severe crop failures in the last two years by stating "I don't believe in supporting industries that are not viable."
"These are the kinds of people we have chosen to lead us into the good life. They are also the people who seem to have forgotten what they were either elected or hired for. There isn't any commitment to principle about them.
"Alex Carey, the Australian social scientist, wrote, "The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy; the growth of corporate power; and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy."
"Obviously the solution to the present threats to our society have to be met within the parameters of democratic principles. I don't know what a real wake up call for the public will look like. It was encouraging to see the students out demonstrating during the APEC conferences in Vancouver and it was no surprise that officialdom reacted the way it did. Remember the brutality directed by Mayor Daly in Chicago against demonstrators or that of the authorities in Selma, Alabama. Remember the killing of students at Kent University. We don't have to look all the way to Tiananmen Square to see and feel repression.
"The media - newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, and television - are tightly under the control of large corporations. Uncensored articles are still available on the net. There is a fine bunch of writers creating a growing awareness in the public of the juggernaut that is engulfing us. Governments still have the power if they can be convinced to get back on track. The real power is in the people. That was demonstrated by the gains made in the Civil Rights Movement under Martin Luther King Jr., the ending of the Vietnam War and the revolution in the environment by the efforts of a host of writers and the activism of organizations like Greenpeace.
"The evidence is that the forces arraigned against the "New Global Order" are gaining strength and we can be successful if we just keep the pressure growing. Whatever our talents we have to stay consistent and active. END
"Note 1. actually Chretian's daughter is married to the Chairman of one of the world's largest corporations, the Power Corporation, and Chretian's wife is a multi-millionaire, so he's hardly a 'wannabee' capitalist - David J. W."
Making the
news" -
Subject: The Actions of a Traitor
Dear Sir,
Tonight I watched with disgust several news broadcasts regarding the Scout Jamboree at Springfield and the despicable lies that were thrust upon our young Australians. As an former Cub Scout and Scout Leader of over 8 years experience, I was always insistent that my young charges spoke the truth, but more importantly that they were told the truth. That was a part of the Scout Law.
This disgraceful excuse for a human in the guise of Sir William Deane has just got to be one of Australia's greatest traitors. How could any decent person flaunt a title that is bestowed by royalty but be openly espousing Australian republicanism. What a disgusting hypocrite this cretin is. How dare he stand up in front of our young people and preach about tolerance? What would this leech know about tolerance? For starters he is only a "Sir" because he knew the right people. For God's sake, who the bloody hell is William Deane? Did he invent the wheel or did he save Australia during a war or is he just some lackey who hangs out in the right sleazy political circles? I am certain that my life has never been made better by William Deane, but I do know that his traitorous actions will have a detrimental effect on the lives of my children and all future generations. He will be one of the traitors that will preside over decent Australian citizens becoming slaves of the New World Order.
He must have felt omnipitent as he stood over the 12,000 or more young people and told them how they should conduct their lives. The youngsters, naturally responded in the way that they had been conditioned through the education system. Perfectly compliant humans; I say jump.....you say..... How High? Not one in his audience would have had the courage or knowledge to publicly question his word. After all, I am the Governor General so I must be right. Sir William of course forgot to tell his audience that multiculturalism is not something that was adopted by the Australian people but in fact was bestowed on us by unconstitutional Prime Ministerial decree. He forgot to tell his young fans that every attempt by decent patriotic Australians to bring about a referendum on the subject has been treated with absolute contempt by the mainstream political powers. Yet another act of treachery. He didn't tell his subjects that successive Governments had passed unconstitutional discriminatory laws to feed the multicultural industry and thereby negating white Australia. Perhaps he could inform our future leaders that he totally ignores our constitution and only responds to his political master's beck and call.
Head Honcho of Australian Scouting indeed. What a disgrace. I thought the last Governor General in his role connected with Scouting was sinister enough, being an atheist, but I would prefer an atheist over a traitor any day.
At least an atheist only rejects God. Hang your head in shame Deane.
Allan W. Doak
Subject: UN endorses One Nation racial discrimination policies
Dear Sir,
Aboriginal activists bleat about racial discrimination and threaten to get help from the United Nations to achieve their objectives.
They obviously haven't read the Racial Discrimination Act. If they did, they would realise the UN's position on Racial Discrimination is identical to Pauline Hanson's.
Australia is a signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of ALL Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Australian government has ratified the convention and included it in the Racial Discrimination Act so it's a done deal. The Aboriginal Industry only exists today because the government has been ignoring its international obligations.
Regards
Tony Hancock
Interesting that multinational fast food empire, Red Rooster, was the only business in the survey below on casual rates paid to young people paying lower than the state award:
(Hourly rates in Au$)
| AGE | <16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21+ |
| Myer | $6.96 | $6.96 | $8.35 | $9.74 | $11.13 | $12.52 | $13.91 |
| Target | $6.91 | $6.91 | $7.60 | $9.33 | $11.05 | $12.44 | $13.82 |
| Woolworths | $6.38 | $7.09 | $7.80 | $9.21 | $10.99 | $12.41 | $14.18 |
| Red Rooster | $4.99 | $5.61 | $6.86 | $8.11 | $9.36 | $10.60 | $12.47 |
| State Award | $6.05 | $6.72 | $7.39 | $8.73 | $10.07 | $11.42 | $13.43 |
Another beautiful day in paradise.
Have a good one.
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