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Reds and Greens
Unite Against Capitalism
[Published in the Globe and Mail on Jan. 14, 1998.]
Dear Editor,
Re: "Corcoran Inconsistent On Kyoto" -- by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke
-- Jan. 9, 1998 -- Another Perspective -- Globe and Mail -- ROB
The article by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke illustrate how socialism and environmentalism
are interchangeable as weapons against individual rights and capitalism.
Terence Corcoran (Dec. 26) rightly pointed out the authors' inconsistency in attacking
the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) for allegedly threatening Canadian
sovereignty while remaining mute when Canadian sovereignty (not to mention our liberty
and prosperity) was being trashed at Kyoto.
The authors replied (in essence) that although both are global agreements, pristine
nature is sacred and can be harmed by investment capital which must therefore be
regulated. Who cares if the individual is enslaved in the name of society or nature,
as long as he's enslaved? Apparently, sovereignty is good if it protects national
socialism, and bad if it prevents international socialism a la United Nations. (Note!
I oppose the MAI but for very different reasons.)
Ms. Barlow and Mr. Clarke fear that the MAI would protect foreign investors from
omnipotent governments. They prefer a UN treaty that would allow governments to violate
individual rights in order to protect "the fundamental economic, social, cultural
and human rights of peoples everywhere." Translation: Canadians invest in an
Indonesian gold mine where malaria-infested swamps are cleared for the site. After
millions of dollars have been poured into construction, infrastructure, training,
etc., Greenpeace mobilizes and convinces the UN to close everything down and restore
the swamps to save "nature."
The authors' concept of "rights" is nothing more that a smoke screen designed
to allow power lusters to rule, loot and destroy us.
Cheers!
Glenn Woiceshyn
© 1998 Glenn Woiceshyn.
All rights reserved. This article can be found on-line at at http://www.capitalism.org/glennw. |
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