British Columbia And Imperial Globalization. Part IV
Written by Robin Mathews June 2016
Attention across the world is, at last, focussing more and more on what is called ‘imperial globalization’ – the growing power of unchecked international capital to poison grand attempts at democratic community such as the ones struggling in the European Community and the Mercosur countries of South America ... and, alas, also, in smaller, national attempts at democratic self-determination from Venezuela to Palestine.
Very broadly, the poison is intrinsic to the ideas found in the group calling itself The New American Century which expounds the necessity of the U.S.A. to dominate and, in effect, to rule the world. In that context the terms ‘international capital’ and ‘World Government’ are freighted with threat ….
Aspects of U.S. expansionism in our time are increasingly visible, warlike, and unpredictable. But the process of ‘takeover’ by U.S. interests has been a common global factor. In the life of ‘the Americas’ (just for instance) South America lives a bloody and brutal history of U.S. planted (and/or approved) dictatorships as its major history.
In Canada, the process has been less-warlike for large, historical reasons. But a core activity used by the U.S. all over the globe has been effective in Canada. That is the process of economic takeover (in Canada, usually effected without the assistance of the U.S. Marines, or other military). Peaceful economic takeover follows a consistent pattern. A huge program of indoctrination, propaganda, and cultural invasion praising the freedom-loving nature of the U.S.A. is conducted. (The program is never not at work in Canada with the assistance of all press and media, including the CBC).
Absolutely key to the success of economic takeover is the winning of local governors and media owners to the program. They must be won by indoctrination, by subtle threat, by ‘unifying’ cultural and trade agreements, and by bribery. The last named is brought to clear light in any serious history of South America. In Canada public discussion of on-going bribery of governing officials is not permitted as a subject of discussion ... yet.
That is a sign of Canadian innocence – put kindly. Put less kindly, other names would be used. As I write, stories arising from the Panama Papers reveal (CBC news) “How Canada got into bed with tax havens” (June 18). What is plainly and simply clear is that major corporations and wealthy people massively rob the Canadian people with the active assistance of Parliament. And the present Liberal government – so far – has not lifted a finger to end the practice. Anyone suggesting major bribery is not a part of the activity belongs in a distant, unapproachable, high-walled nunnery.
The wealth sucked out of Canada is precisely the wealth that would provide for research, education, development, break-through science, entrepreneurial start-up – the invisible Infrastructure of independent countries. What happens in Canada is the slow ‘hollowing out’ of the economy by off-shore development and by takeover of absolutely central enterprise located here.
Much of the takeover – as the B.C. examples will show – becomes reality without most of the people affected being aware of the change. And though the effects reverberate throughout the society, the central ‘operation’ is economic takeover accompanied by the wooing, the relentless indoctrinating, and the bribing of a sell-out ‘governing’ class.
After the Second World War advances were made in standard of living for the larger populations in ‘the Western World’. That happened regardless of the name of the political forces involved. In British Columbia the active force was the Social Credit government of W.A.C. Bennett. His (thought of as ‘Right’) government created, or secured, and brought into public ownership, and expanded, BC Hydro, BC Rail, BC Ferries, and BC Gas.
Altogether, those “Infrastructure” components assured secure and flexible transportation in the province; energy and power for development and for use by the population into the future. And – TOGETHER – they created a reasonable profit source for government, pouring money into General Revenues, money that was used to support health-care, education and other semi-Infrastructure activities.
British Columbians were set up for a sunny future which, indeed, they experienced until the increased velocity of imperial globalization took hold in the 1980s and after. The truly mortal blows to British Columbia were not delivered until the appearance of Gordon Campbell, leading what was called a “Liberal” government containing hard Right actors like his deputy premier and education minister, Christie Clark.
He set to work at the start of this century to destroy all the publicly-owned Infrastructure entities (including Public Education. In 2003 his Education minister, Christie Clark, violated the Canadian Constitution in order to penalize and disable B.C. teachers and B.C. Public Education. Her son attends private school. And the attack on Public Education is on-going. Most ironic of all – the taxpayer is drained to provide public support for private schools while the Public Education budget is attacked wherever possible.)
The BC Rail Scandal court case, revealed a number of things. The trial was corrupt. The Special Crown Prosecutor on the case was improperly appointed (Chief Justice and Associate Chief Justice refused to act in the matter). The RCMP – I allege - was very probably involved in corrupt investigation. And it refused to investigate top level government and corporate people. Finally, documents placed “on public record” were severely restricted from examination in a dramatic denial of the meaning of “on public record”.
I came to believe that Gordon Campbell was a bought servant of international capital, given the task of destroying all the publicly-owned infrastructure entities in B.C. and privatizing them – and where possible privatizing them into U.S. hands. He is said to have met David Hahn (the man he later hired to run the destroyed Crown Corporation, BC Ferries) when Campbell was resident in the U.S. Who else of like character did Campbell make contact with when he was being educated in the U.S.A.?
I believe, in addition, that some RCMP, lawyers, high court judges, media figures (and owners?), as well as key people in the major Opposition Party, the NDP, were “taken in” in one way or another and were, in fact, Campbell’s supporters. Certainly they were never strong opponents of the wholesale destruction of what might fairly be called the publicly-owned British Columbia Infrastructure Network.
I believe, in addition, that criminal behaviour was common among some cabinet members, some civil servants, some RCMP employees, some lawyers, and some high court officers. (Poisonous takeover often requires poisonous methods.)
British Columbians will remember that it was the NDP that allowed BC Gas to be privatized – for no apparent reason. The NDP put restrictions on ownership and head office location. The Gordon Campbell forces gained government, erased the restrictions, and delivered BC Gas into the hands of the U.S. giant, Kinder Morgan. A Gigantic Betrayal.
In 2001 Paul Tellier appeared in B.C. He was a completely self-advertised advocate of Canada’s integration into the U.S.A. – currency and all. Tellier had taken the reins of the Canadian National Railway, had privatized it, and had delivered it into U.S. hands. It is now headquartered in Texas, and employees are instructed to speak of ‘CN Rail’ not of ‘Canadian National’. (Tellier received ‘best CEO’ awards for his sell-out of CNR.)
In 2001 he came to B.C. and publicly urged that BC Rail go the way of CNR.
I believe Gordon Campbell set up a civil service team to weaken, sell-off profitable parts, and destroy BC Rail so it could be handed (as it has been) to CN Rail. I believe evidence exists of criminal Breach of Trust in the matter – which the RCMP refused to investigate.
The Gordon Campbell sell-out team handed away BC Gas, BC Rail, and tried for years to dump BC Ferries onto foreign owners.
BC Hydro has not been such an easy victim. Nevertheless, the Campbell/Christie Clark forces have overseen its division, partial privatisation, and what I choose to call its “criminalization”.
Variously stripping the B.C. Utilities Commission of its powers to oversee development and changes to energy policy and attempting to use it for political purposes, the Campbell/Christie Clark forces have produced an almost impenetrable thicket of irrationalities. The Auditor General of B.C. refused for at least ten years to ratify the methods of accounting of BC Hydro.
That alone should have prompted the NDP to prevent all legislative business from going forward in the Legislature until full correction was in place. The NDP has done nothing.
The creation of the Independent Power Producers and “run-of-the-river” energy production has been as close to lunatic as it can be. A contract was made between them and BC Hydro to buy energy at far more than what it can be sold for (one way of bankrupting BC Hydro). And presently, Hydro, apparently, is paying the IPP people not to produce energy. In a rush to prevent British Columbia rivers from being carefully and environmentally absorbed over a long time into the BC Hydro overall energy structure (if desirable), Gordon Campbell (following orders?) conducted a crash program of handing BC rivers to privatizers (privateers??) of all stripes (to keep the river development from public ownership?).
Economic, environmental, social, cost-overrun estimates as well as cultural and First Nations Rights studies of the projected multi-billion dollar Site C dam construction pile up evidence of its extraordinary cost and destructive potential ... and, in fact, uselessness!
So unnecessary and damaging is the project that British Columbians have to conclude it is being continued for one (or some) of the following reasons.
One. The whole activity is a massive, corrupt program to enrich friends and to make government appear to be “managing the economy for British Columbians”.
Two. It is intended to create power to satisfy U.S. needs at enormous cost to British Columbians.
Three. It is intended to create a huge water reservoir which can be drawn off for U.S. use (again at gigantic cost to British Columbians).
Four. It is a part of the intended bankruptcy of BC Hydro in preparation for privatizing it into U.S. hands ... so that the Gordon Campbell/Christie Clark project to destroy and privatize to U.S. interests all B.C. Infrastructure entities can be virtually complete.
The sad, sick history of destruction in B.C. of the magnificent, publicly-owned Infrastructure Network is almost unknown by the people. But it is in perfect harmony with “imperial globalization”, the hollowing out of Canadian industrial capacity, the flourishing Canadian use of Panama Papers-style offshore banking hideaways, and political leaders shilling for “Free Trade” treaties that rob Canadians of Parliamentary Democratic Power.
British Columbians are brain-washed by sell-out media to think the destruction of B.C.’s publicly-owned Infrastructure Network had to happen, or was best to happen. But the fact is of a gigantic robbery of the peoples’ wealth. That it was undertaken and continued by the Gordon Campbell/Christie Clark forces should be shouted from the rooftops … endlessly ... until every British Columbian knows the truth ... in smallest detail.
But since British Columbia is the only province in Canada without an Opposition Party that probably won’t happen.
Written by Robin Mathews
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Like the photo atop this post....Christy Clark and the BC Liberals are naturally UGLY, there is only one way to hide that much ugliness... surgery, lighting, face masks, dark curtains and a willfully blind media ..Only through guile, and a paid off/bribed/blackmailed bootlicking media and sheepish political opposition has allowed this sick bunch of grifters to thrive...
Funny how much cooperation the media provides criminal organizations...Guess that's what happens when you catch media personalities doing drugs, having sex with escorts...The great 1996 media capture....Where, Whistler B.C..The venue..BC Liberal Convention....The Pimp?..Gordon Campbell.
Like magic....BC Liberals have endless rabbits to pull out of media hats....isn't that right Keith Baldrey..
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