Davos 2000 27 January 2000
david.nicholson's
Window on #965
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Club of Rome mission is to act as a global catalyst of change that is free of any political, ideological or business interest. |
The last Wednesday before Labour Day should, by our calendar, be the last one before packing up the cottage and returning to city life and activities. However, these days, school restarts before Labour Day, holidays are taken at any time during the year - and, in any event, there was no Summer of 2000.
We look forward this week to a Wednesday Night of vigor, vim and vinegar with Valaskakis.
Yes, Kimon will be with us and may share some of his thoughts on the role of think tanks in fostering global good government and good order.
We may also consider the evolution of the news before and after the summer solstice.
- the PQ, still trying to make up its collective mind about official positions on sovereignty and language, must now think about angry union reaction to municipal merger proposals.
- Montreal Suburb citizens, having been told that they should have one referendum, are now anxiously contemplating burrough-dom.
- Will he or won't he? On the eve of the Liberal getogether, MPs are confirming that the constituents say he must not seek a third term. AGAIN.
- Vicente Fox landed among the Canadian chickens with some daring proposals for Free Trade and monetary union, and the alarm bells ring.
- Air Canada pilots won't strike - at least not now. Will this make Robert Milton's 180 days any shorter?
- Videotron is still staving off Québecor and the Caisse.
And in the rest of the world ... aside from unusual weather in many places, the news is also remarkably the same as in May or June.
See what new and exciting thoughts and projects we may unearth with the help of Kimon, Julius, Dr. Mark Roper, Peter Trent and some eager young friends recently returned from far away.
April 25, 1996 began the Club of Rome in Bruxelles ...catalyst of change; alternative solutions; globalisation of problems pose predicaments beyond the capacity of individual countries. To transfer ideas to the public, [most important make it sexy] We can do better? Links and many more Links
SASKATOON Mon Aug 14, 2000 CMA president urges public input on medicare .. - The outgoing president of the Canadian Medical Association says the public must be included in any debate on the
future of medicare. ..Some doctors suggest Canadians should
consider user fees, or a registered savings
plan to fund their own long-term care. [NO! DTN] Others say the government should foot the bill entirely.
And, please, if you have such an opinion and cannot be with us, do write to the web site, or to us as above - we welcome content for the web site.
We have not yet discovered the secret to GMPCs (Genetically Modified Presidential Candidates), but suggest that the fact that the Caucus was in Iowa, known for its corn crop ... may indicate some hope.
'GREEN' FUEL TAXES TARGET OF EUROPEAN OIL BLOCKADES...
ANTI-GLOBALIZATION PROTESTERS
CLAIM VICTORY IN MELBOURNE...
Wednesday Night #965
Club of Athens
August 30, 2000
PROLOGUE
Marie re-introduced Hamish Macaulay who has not been to a Wednesday Night for a long time. Hamish manages rich people's money and keeps them happy. Marie described him as an "all round Nice Guy!"
Rev. David Oliver reported on his recent trips that included ten days in the Arctic, quickly followed by a trip to Paris. "The Paris Metro is chaos."
Chair David Nicholson showed a news clip that suggested that there may well be a Federal election on October 23rd. Since there has to be 45 days notice, the Election call has to come on or before September 17th. So far the Liberals are denying any suggestion of an election this Fall.
HEALTHCARE AND THE CMA
Dr. Mark Roper arrived and the discussion moved onto healthcare. Mark was the Montreal representative at the recent CMA conference in Saskatoon. Mark reported the results of recent data presented at the conference. In one poll of Canadians - 78% thought the Medicare system was in a state of crisis. 54% believe that it is a issue and is in decline; 30% are adamantly opposed to a two-tiered system. In 1991 61% said the system was excellent, in 2000 only 26% thought so.
The CMA advocates Sustainability (see www.cma.ca) and believes that it can be achieved, but the question is: will any politician have the courage to address the issues?
Medicare was identified as a truly Canadian facility and part of what makes us different from the States. However, the healthcare budget still had over $4 billion removed from it under the Liberals. Also there is considerable mismanagement of the system, especially in B.C., and Quebec. Added to this is an aging population who need more services, and the current costs are not being effectively controlled. In 1995, the overall budget was cut from $18 to $12 billion. $2 billion has been restored, but $4 billion is still missing to return the system to its 1995 status. The consensus seems to be that if the $4 billion is restored and the efficiency improved, then the system is sustainable. The CMA and the nurses are in an alliance to increase funding, rather than addressing the bloated bureaucracy and the unreasonable collective agreements that are in place. The CMA is not willing to address the inefficiencies in the system. Restoration of the missing $4 billions to the healthcare systems would come with strings attached in the form of defined standards of care that would be expected.
Diana reported the Margaret Lefebvre-Walker was impressed by Allan Rock at the recent Couchiching Conference. Mark agreed that he is a good listener and seems genuinely interested in new points of view. He is in the fourth year of his mandate as Minister of Health.
Reference was made to the WHO study of healthcare systems around the world. France came in at number 1, Canada at 30 and the U.S. at 33. Mark said that the Liberal cuts to healthcare of 33% are grossly irresponsible, and one reason why Canada came in at number 30.
Jill Hugessen asked if restoring funding was "Job 1" for the CMA? . The Fraser Institute has pointed out that adding extra dollars to the healthcare budget has not reduced the wait lists for medical procedures.
If funding is restored, the Feds are adamant that there must be accountability for the funds - an annual Report Card. Some provinces object to accounting to the Feds (guess who?). Mark would welcome accountability in the system.
Which medical procedures would be "de-listed" if extra funds were not made available. De-listing is a hot potato and one that the CMA would not want to address. The CMA would prefer to hand that responsibility to the Federal government, but could supply the template. By having elective surgery done by outside clinics, certain procedures are "superficially de-listed", and this corresponds to a two-tier system.
There are specific problems with the healthcare system in Canada. These include a shortage of nurses, radiologists, and anesthetists. For instance nurses work from 7 am to 3:30 p.m., and thus Operating Rooms close at 3:30. In Canada 80% of the staff is unionized, and represent 45% of the total cost of the healthcare system. Therefore, contracting out cannot be seen as a solution.
Studies have shown a reduction of some 30% in hospital days. This productivity improvement is due to more efficient technology, as many medical procedures are now handled on a day surgery basis, thus reducing the costs.
RUSSIA
Hamish recently returned from a business/culture trip to Russia and Hungary. He met many senior people there and was given VIP treatment. Adjustment to the free market system is appallingly difficult, there is no profit motive, no tradition of entrepreneurship and consequently, Western experts have problems communicating management solutions. The tax system is a disaster, therefore State revenues have declined, adversely affecting the military budget and maintenance of infrastructures. Housing is rotting, no new factories, little or new investment, agriculture has regressed. Life expectancy is dropping due to poor food and too much alcohol. The education system still produces good people that hope to get a job, but unemployment is high among the technically well trained.
There is slow improvement, but it will probably take two generations for the Russian economy to recover. The education system is working, all kids go to school and many go to university. Teachers are being paid. The previous regime was awful, incomes were low, but today, while there are no shortages, people have no money. A handful people control the main industries and the levers of power. The Mafia constitutes an alternative economy, one that exports most of its revenues and pays no taxes. While Russia has great resources, such as aluminum, diamonds, coal, oil and gas, she has defaulted on government bonds. The IMF has historically failed to prescribe the right medicine.
The eventual outcome will likely be a mixed economy, with both private and government controlled industries. There is a need for more policing to enforce the laws, and collect taxes. There will not be a return to totalitarianism, but state structured authoritarianism is within the Russian tradition and suited to the culture. There are some 73 state units, and there needs to be a return to state control (regulation), but not to state ownership. Peter the Great and Catherine were authoritarians (traditional patriarchs) with central control. It will be a long time before Russia will have a civil society.
On V. Putin, Hamish had no real feel as to his contribution and effectiveness
see the latest news from Russia
A NEW ACTION TANK
As Ambassador to the OECD, Kimon Valaskakis gained insight into many of the problems around the world. There is an enormous chasm between actors - people who get things done - and thinkers.
Globalization is here to stay. We have a choice of what kind of world we will live in. While there are some 200 countries, large international companies cross borders as if they are lawless rogues. Problems of a global nature require "Global Governance" - an accepted rules-based system. In Europe the Thirty Years' War finished with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 (also the end of the Holy Roman Empire), by which rules for peaceful living were laid done. What is needed today is a reform of that global government system - a global set of rules to allow people, countries, companies to interact in a civil environment. It is impossible to effect reform from the inside - the rigidity imposed by individual governments will not allow it.
Think tanks, NGOs do not have the clout.
The Club of Athens is an alternative structure - informal, but with some characteristics of a commission (in that it must accomplish certain things within an established three-year period). An "Action Tank" with thinkers involved, it will invite heads of state and action-oriented individuals to start planning a "Global Republic". Established as a priority by the Greek government, and supported by the French government, its mandate coincides with the period ending with the Greek Olympics of 2004. It could be based in Montreal, however the Canadian government needs to see established international support. Funding would come from foundations and wealthy world leaders like Gates, Soros, Turner, etc. There will be a well defined three year agenda, with reports being called for on specific topics.
Allan Mass pointed out that global governance is in the hands of those with technology and access to capital, such as Cisco, Oracle and Microsoft. A good example of what can be done by governments is Ireland, which has an excellent educational system, good technical staff and an open government policy for duty free manufacturing and the export of goods.
There are problems on a world scale. How do governments tax E-Commerce? There is an erosion of the tax base, related to the location of a company. The replacement tax may be a consumption tax, like the GST or VAT, which is a flat, regressive tax. The other negative effective of globalization is a homogenization of the individual countries' cultures.
Kimon thought that the Mafia and organized crime are a form of global governance. Is world trade a zero sum game? Diana asked if the Tongs, Triads or Colombian drug cartel are more important.
All multilateral organizations are based on 1 country/1 vote and the worst victim is the UN where chaos reigns along with the problems of the top heavy bureaucracy, no comprehensive policies, but lots of small policies, no integrating vision. The structure of the UN needs to be rethought. Meanwhile, the US acts as the global policeman. Unfortunately powerful elements in the US government disdain the UN, and have blocked payment of over $2 billion in dues. What we need is a world parliament with one person - one vote. Right now, China and India with 2 billion people (one third of the world's population have just two votes (out of 200) in the UN General Assembly.
50 years ago four countries were considered admirable alternative government models: Sweden, Ruanda/Burundi; Yugoslavia and Lebanon….
The World Economic Forum also known as the Davos Summit has many problems - no agenda, and no output. It has no set of values - no mission statement. Instead, the Athenian Symposium of Global Thoughts and Practices (Club of Athens) will create a win-win situation for all people, based on real democracy. The Club of Athens would prepare an Iinventory of Issues in its first year, with emphasis on the inter-relationships of problems, and analyze these, even if they come to a dead end. For instance, a scenario of total privatization might be an extreme right wing view, but what are the implications of such a system.
Notes by Professor Gerald Ratzer
Edited by Diana Nicholson.
QUOTES OF THE EVENING
On Education:
- "Access to education based on ability to pay will destroy the nation."
- "You can be over trained for an economic job, but education is never wasted."
- "We have to stop putting education above competence."
On Genetically Modified Foods
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"Labelling is a way of life. It is not an onus on anyone."
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"Canada and the United States are more interested in promoting trade than biodiversity and safety"
H e a d l i n e s : C a n a d a
 Betting the Farm
Rough Cuts presents a documentary called "Betting the Farm" which first aired on Saturday, January 15
David and Diana Nicholson
 Susan Bonner reports for CBC TV
[Download Players]
click for last week CBC vs CRTC
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