 |
 |
|
|
|
| Montreal, June 8, 2002 / No 105 |
|
by
Scott Carpenter
It's time British Columbians had a major reality check. "Anti Government" rallies held throughout the province these days are anything but. The truth is that "labour" and other left-wing organizations are really just anti this government. In fact, if I were a betting man, I'd wager a month's salary that most of these groups are actually quite in favour of government. Particularly big fat socialist types. |
|
That's not to say this new "Liberal" government is perfect but it's certainly
a far cry from what we're used to out here on the west coast.
Reality Check Time Traditionally we're used to a government that's a bit more "liberal" in the modern sense of the word. British Columbians are more accustomed to government that taxes the heck out of producers, burdens us with laws that restrict our trade, hamper our business and harass us in our homes. We're not used to the idea that maybe – just maybe – we'd better start taking some responsibility for our own lives for a change. We've laboured for so long under the illusion that our neighbour is duty bound to support our pet cause that we're going into withdrawal now that the dope – the cash – has been cut off. I had a discussion the other day with a friend (who is a community support worker) about this very subject. He asked me what he thought we should do with all the people who can't take care of themselves without government assistance. When I suggested he ask the local population for donations to help his cause he said only that the money they might scrape together through charity (as opposed to government coercion – i.e.: taxes) would never cover the cost of administering the programs needed to care for the disadvantaged – let alone actually provide adequate living conditions.
Of course, herein lies the problem with government being involved in activities that are truly the realm of charity or private enterprise. The first priority of government – as evidenced by my friend's statement – is not to care for the needy but to employ a vast number of pseudo-professional bureaucrats and care givers. The same holds true for our health care system. Why else do twenty some Shriner hospitals in the US operate on a yearly budget that is less than or equal to the Vancouver General Hospital? The folks kicking up a fuss in this province have missed the point altogether. It's simple math, you can't consume more than you produce and in a socialist world where production is at a minimum and consumption (taxation) is at its highest this law holds truer than ever. Of course we could have stayed the path, ignored reality, denied this fundamental principles of mathematics and economics, and simply declared bankruptcy in a few years. Fortunately, the vast majority of us in this province had a wake up call last spring. Like good kids who know they've been caught with their fingers in the cookie jar we stood up to the plate and took our lumps. The discomfort (for some, agony) we are experiencing now is the price we must pay for ten years (or more) of socialist ignorance. You see, the truth is it's not the Liberal's fault. In a democracy where citizens are busy voting themselves money from public treasury and each other's pockets we have no one to blame but ourselves. Now that's a reality check.
|
| << retour au sommaire |
|
