Wednesday-Night.com
Salon Magazine vol 20
Feb 9, 2000
david.nicholson's
Wednesday-Night.com |
#936
david nicholson says
Air Canada profit takes off WebPosted Wed Feb 2 09:31:03 2000 see AC chart
WEDNESDAY-NIGHT Well, after last Wednesday's cast of thousands and highly focused (!) discussion, we have decided that this week will be an "Allie Allie in free" - as of tonight (Tuesday) no set topics. That can mean anything and everything. It could also mean an astonishingly profound discussion led by YOU. And we are always open to ideas by phone or email...
#936
20-09-2000
Diana and David Nicholson
After last week's large audience, #936 was small and select, but we were graced by the return of Katleen Félix recently of Air Canada and now a financial analyst with CGI. Katleen brought with her Biloan Wo
What's going on in the Canadian Parliament?
The current Human Resources scandal raises this question and many more. The nature and scope of the alleged sloppiness in the distribution of federal largesse, the allegation that the grants climbed dramatically just prior to the last federal election, only to drop shortly thereafter, would hardly cause a headline let alone a ripple in most of the other democracies in the world. That the opposition would probably do likewise if in power is a hypothesis that appears to be excluded from the debate. Indeed, if it were the program itself that was under attack, questions would be raised as to the return on investment.
No, it appears to be taken for granted that the prime object of the grants might have been to influence citizens in their feelings for the government or party and the attack appears to be an attempt to weaken confidence in the Liberal government . Like a dog with a bone, the press will not let go of the issue, even if the opposition tires of it. It also appears that this is an issue that might stick to the "teflon Prime Minister" - the public may not let this one disappear. People are angered by the thought that their tax dollars have gone to frivolous - if not fraudulent - projects such as those audited when we have crises in healthcare and education (to name a few).
Without national scope, it is very unlikely that any of the opposition parties might be in a position to form a government as a result of the next election, but it is possible that with sufficient distrust of the Chrétien government, it might be succeeded by a minority Liberal government.
One might wonder whether this might not be a scheme launched by or taken advantage of by some Liberals who see an indirect attack on their chief as the only practical way of ridding the party of an aging, tired leader who will not see his own shortcomings and is reluctant to yield power or to relax his grip on the Liberal caucus.
Whether or not this is a likely scenario, it is interesting to ponder what type of Prime Minister might best lead Canada.
Would we value charisma over competence or vice versa? Would we abandon the idea of the Messiah and settle for a competent leader? Could William Lyon McKenzie King be elected to-day? Would Robert Stanfield have fared better in a pre-television era? Had he not been assassinated, would Kennedy have in retrospect been a more competent president than Nixon, his defeated opponent?
Is Haider leading Europe down the path of Naziism, or is he merely a right wing politician who if he attains power, is prepared to respect the Austrian constitution which does not permit a resurrection of the Nazi party?
David OliverIn Canada as in Austria, there is no consensus on this point, but it is certain that real leaders are not necessarily charismatic, and charismatic people are not necessarily good leaders. Contrast the records of Bouchard and Charest, both pressed into office because of their charisma, with that of Westmount Mayor Peter Trent, effective leader, intelligent, extremely charismatic.
One conclusion: There is no longer much appeal in politics at the national or provincial level. One can be far more effective, and it is more rewarding to work at the level closest to the community.
John C. & Lucy KrohaQuotes of the evening:
"If you look after the hundred millions, the billions will look after themselves.""Perhaps the mistake we make is looking for a Messiah. Perhaps we should not look to others for leadership, but lead ourselves. Get involved in your own community."
Kohl & Co.
Essay Dr. Charles Gati
Over the years I have remarked on — and shown a thinly-veiled bias toward — those politicians who carefully cultivate their supporters and often their opponents, too, to gather political capital for the few really significant, historic measures they would eventually undertake. In this century, Winston Churchill was such a politician. Another one on many short lists, until recently, was former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
It is hard to believe that Helmut Kohl was on the take. After all, this is the man who governed Germany with a steady hand for 16 years. He was often compared to his famous predecessors, Otto von Bismarck and Konrad Adenauer. He kept Germany economically, politically, and militarily strong but not too strong to threaten its neighbors. In close cooperation with the United States, he helped unify Germany. He has done more than anyone else has for the unity of Europe; without his strong support, the single currency, the euro, would not have been born. True, Kohl did not solicit or accept money for personal use. He took money from industrialists in Germany and elsewhere so that his political party, the Christian Democrats, would stay in power. He took money so that he would remain the Chancellor of Germany. To make matters worse, he is now unwilling to divulge the names of contributors to his slush fund because he gave them his word they would remain anonymous. Choosing between his promise not to name names and the rule of law, Kohl prefers not to name names. The "short list" of great politicians has just become shorter.
Of course, Kohl is not the first major or promising politician in recent years to have made a "mistake" in order to prevent his political opponents from gaining power. Given his historic opening to China and other foreign policy measures, Richard Nixon might have become one of the "great" U.S. presidents. Today, most people remember him for Watergate, a pitiful effort to learn something illegally about his Democratic "enemy." In Israel, both President Ezer Weizman and Prime Minister Ehud Barak are being charged this month with fund-raising violations. In Italy, political corruption once engulfed the centrist Christian Democrats — a party that has since disappeared from the political scene — as well as the late Bettino Craxi, on the left, and Silvio Berlusconi, on the right. Meanwhile, a former Ukrainian premier is presently accusing his successor of diverting $613 million — money lent to that country by the International Monetary Fund — to improper use. And what about the promise of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who, instead of improving the economic plight of his country, allowed his family and his cronies to get rich?
At issue in all of these cases is political greed. As Lord Acton observed in 1887, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Of course, we have always known that dictators do not want to transfer political power. However, that elected leaders of Kohl's or Barak's caliber would illegally obtain funds to stay at the helm is something of a surprise until we recall another Acton aphorism, "Great men are almost always bad men," or the observation made in 1921 by Viscount Bryce: "A political career brings out the basest qualities in human nature."
Surely there must be some exceptions. According to an organization called Transparency International, the top ten countries perceived to be less corrupt than others are Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, Iceland, Singapore, Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. With the important exceptions of Canada and the Netherlands, all these countries are relatively small, with a population of less than nine million. If size is a helpful but not necessarily a determining criterion for integrity, it is more difficult to judge the influence of being authoritarian (Singapore) or very liberal (the Netherlands). In short, we know that some countries are far less corrupt than others, but we do not know why.
There are those who say that corruption is inevitable when, as in Germany, the government seems to have as much to do with the economy as does the market. Others say that corruption is inevitable when one man — i.e., Kohl — can get reelected so many times that he stays on top for 16 years. And there are those who say that in these times of radical, even revolutionary change — after the collapse of Communism and in the era of globalization — everything goes, all behavior is justified. Maybe so. It is probably also true that the gradual decline of the sovereign nation-state has yet to be accompanied by the development of new, global, and enforceable rules. Unless and until that happens, however — please do not hold your breath — politics in too many countries will remain dirty business.
(Editor's note: please see this cogent discussion piece submitted by Margaret Lefebvre of the Couchiching Institute on this subject.)
Canada is enjoying a very strong level of capital investment, consumer spending is up with sales at a record level. We enjoy an international trade surplus of three or three and a half billion dollars per month. The major concern remains the high level of accumulated debt.
I was most miffed by the Cochrane article on the pension plan this morning. Why is it that despite all evidence to the contrary, there is a systematic refusal to recognize that not only are we living longer (and therefore becoming a burden on the system) but we are living HEALTHIER longer and in fact are working right up until our health gives out.
Bismark set the age for retirement at 65 precisely because statistically most of the population would have died before that age. We tied pension benefits to that age with the same premise. In fact, there have been very few years during which people did in fact retire and live on their pensions exclusively.
At the present rate, the job market is getting so tight that the future employees will be the newly retired. CARP may evolve into a Labour Union of the newly recycled and start agitating for better furniture, stronger lighting and shorter hours. The future cannot does not lend itself to linear extrapolation of statistical data.
Margaret Lefebvre-Walker
Ask any turkey who was making plans for the day after Thanksgiving.
MML
Meet Peter G. White click to see his interests and investments with Some Examples of his activities
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Judge Andree Ruffo ..looked down at Simon. In a voice as gentle as black-robed authority can sound, she said, "You have to realize, there are people who love you and care for you." ...When their homes are broken and their hopes lie in ruins, all they have to protect them is the System. And for some, it fails... by MARK ABLEY
Judge Andree RuffoSaturday, February 12, 2000 ALAN ALLNUTT ...I am constantly reminded by younger readers that they are as diverse and have as many different interests as any other generation. The trend in many sectors of the media today is to dumb down to the lowest possible level to capture younger audiences. I think many, if not most, younger readers resent being patronized. (saved)
RealAudio Interview:
CBC News Online's Peter McCluskey interviews Walter C. "Jake" Soderlund
Why Canada Should Care Peter McCluskey The popular thinking is that it won't make a whole lot of difference to Canadians which candidate - Republican, Democrat, Reform or Independent. NAFTA F/T
Rogers taking over Videotron WebPosted Mon Feb 7 15:06:05 2000
MONTREAL - Rogers Communications Inc., Canada's largest cable company, is acquiring Videotron Group Ltd., Canada's No. 3 cable company, in a stock swap that will create a $25-billion company.
Saturday 12 February 2000 Even as the world's police launch criminal investigations into this week's unprecedented assault on the Internet by computer hackers, it is worth remembering that the real danger is in over-reacting.
Canadians on top in online use WebPosted Sat Feb 5 18:02:00 2000 NEW YORK - After getting a reputation as hewers of wood and drawers of water, it now appears Canadians are clickers of mice. We spend more time surfing the Web than anyone else in the world, according to a U.S. study.
Sunday 30 January 2000 Believing there is no alternative to current policies is folly HUGH SEGAL...public fatigue around the entire question to create a sense among many of our fellow citizens that progress on the larger issues has stalled.
Anxiety over the crisis in our health-care system has risen to unprecedented levels. The stubborn problems of homelessness and poverty seem intractable. The level of student debt and the high tax rates our young people must face as they enter the work force also conspire to increase worry, anxiety and pessimism.
The Gazette Board of Contributors Hugh Segal Is president of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, a national, non-profit think-tank based in Montreal.
Paul Martin's non-campaign to succeed Jean Chretien turned Ottawa into a cauldron of backstabbing, rumour-mongering, and outright lying. Even more so than usual BY GUY LAWSON Saturdaynight
Davos 2000Davos 2000 27 January 2000
Davos 1999, 1998
February 03, 2000 Davos: CBC view... The man was Pierre Pettigrew
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