Ignatieff's sell-out of human rights and environmental protection

I really miss Mentarch’s thoughtful posts on how our governments’ actions affect us not only nationally, but globally as well.  He would probably have a lot to say about Bill C-300 (An Act Respecting Corporate Accountability for Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries), how two (or three, if you want to point fingers and include the four NDP who didn’t vote) parties contributed to its demise, and what impact this will have nationally and globally.

We have come to expect the Harper government to place corporate interests above the environment, human rights, developing nations, and people near or below the poverty line.  They believe governments should not regulate industry and they continue to perpetuate the ridiculous myth that corporations, given the freedom to do as they please, will display a social conscience.

To watch the Liberals defeat their own private member’s Bill by abstaining in numbers large enough to make sure it dies is frightening.  That means that the only two parties that currently have enough support to win even a minority are not seriously concerned about regulating greed-driven organizations that abuse human rights, have no regard for the environmental damage they cause unless bad publicity affects their profits, and let as little money as possible filter down to taxpayers.

In this case, it was more than failure to show concern on the part of the Libs and CONs.  Both made sure the Bill would not pass, telling us beyond any doubt that both parties would rather please the money-men who already control so much they are far from vulnerable than protect not only those who cannot protect themselves, but average people as well.

Both parties distorted the truth about this Bill and what it means to industry, showing us that they are both willing and able to lie for their masters – the large corporations.

What does that do to the value of our individual vote, then?  If our elected representatives will lie to their constituents to help line the pockets of the very organizations that use and abuse voters, then that system is a corrupt, secretive, seriously off-balanced and unfair one wearing a cheap mask that sort of looks like democracy.  Who then speaks for the people who can’t spend millions lobbying for their own interests?  Who votes on their behalf?  And the longer such sell-out parties, parties that lie to those they are supposed to work for, the more power shifts to corporations as they get richer, more powerful, more dug in, and more arrogant in the knowledge that they will never seriously be held accountable.

So what do the CONs and Libs think will happen as populations keep rising on a planet where resources are dwindling and corporations, unchecked, devastate yet more land?  What do they think will happen as the people whose rights are tromped on see the abusers getting wealthier at their expense?  We’ve seen this over and over in history.  Governments and corporations may consider those they deceive, suppress, and ignore as mindless masses, but every individual in those masses has a stomach and gets hungry.  Each one needs a safe place to live.  Each one has a dream of some sort of future for themselves and their family.  And each one has some sense of what they view as fair and just.

Their numbers grow along with population growth and wealth goes into fewer hands.  Pressure builds, and most of us realize what happens when pressure increases in a closed system.

Rather than a smooth transition into systems suited to denser populations with fewer resources where we have no choice but to be careful of what we put into our soil, air, and water, we will have a series of bloody outbursts.  Some groups will not know who to attack or may be unable to target the ones who are causing their misery, and in frustration, desperation, and anger will lash out at their neighbouring countries or districts, or set their sights on sub-groups within their own communities.

Corporations and governments will encourage this mis-direction of hostilities because they want the masses to focus on something other than the real causes of their suffering.  To such governments, losing a few hundred thousand people here and there in lands that cannot sustain them will not be viewed as a big negative.

After that...possibly an alliance between a very few super powers who hold economic control, dividing the planet between them, economically, at least.  Whether or not this happens, the smaller outbursts will be followed by global ones and everyone, even the swinishly wealthy corporations lose.

Then, a slow re-building over the bodies of the dead until we start the whole cycle over again because we don’t seem to learn from our past mistakes.  Or rather, some of us learn, but the greedy, power hungry few grab opportunities at the expense of those who strive for fairness and equality.

Short sighted, selfish politics practiced by people like Harper and Ignatieff cause long lasting devastation not only to our country, but to the way our species handles situation.  Rather than being guided through thoughtful long-term planning that would enhance the lives of all people as equally as possible, those we have given power to through our democratic process are building terrible pressure in a closed system. 

These politicians aren’t all heartless.  Some actually mean well but reason their way through bad policies by saying to themselves and their members, “just for now, until we get power.  Then we’ll do the right thing for all.”  But it doesn’t work because the corporations they cater to will still be there when they get that power, and the lobbying will be just as intense.  The new opposition will work against positive change, because they will apply the same faulty reasoning of “just for now.”

Meanwhile, every compromise, every sell-out, every bit of justice stepped on to appease the powerful and the rich builds that deadly pressure.

As Gwynne Dyer says in “Climate Wars,” starving people aren’t reasonable.