It's all about freedom
Who would have thought the disease of self-delusion could be so contagious? In the 1970s Russian propaganda saying they were a world leader in all things good and had invented everything useful became a running joke. From the signs in the collective farms exhorting workers to higher productivity with “Look out Iowa Cow!” to the annual May Day parade of military hardware, the Russian people were subjected to an endless barrage of self-congratulatory propaganda from a country that could not manufacture even the most basic petro-chemical products.
Today Albertans are used to the same type of propaganda. Until the oil boom, Alberta was actually a have-not province and received transfer payments from Ottawa. When the oil price crashed in the 1980s Alberta’s politicians did a masterful job of blaming everyone but themselves.
Two sure symptoms of this disease are an addiction to slogans and the idea that none of the old rules apply. In Alberta that means no worries about property rights or saving for the future.
Now Saskatchewan seems to have caught the self-delusion disease. We see this in Regina’s self-promotion as a “Global Transportation Hub.” As if a slogan can change the fact Regina is landlocked thousands of miles from deep water and is entirely dependent on diesel gulping transport trucks and two railways that are perfectly happy to strangle their customers with high freight rates.
The disease seems to have extended to Minister Ritz’s legislation to kill our CWB. Ritz says it’s all about freedom. However, the majority of grain farmers see Ottawa’s legislation as an illegal action to over-throw our elected CWB directors, and take away our right to have a vote on any changes to our Board.
Fortunately, our directors are taking their duties to farmers seriously. They are taking legal action against what amounts to a violation of our property rights that would illegally expropriate the extra dollars our Wheat Board generates and returns to us.
Minister Ritz has already used taxpayer money to saturate prairie news papers with glossy Agriculture Canada propaganda booklets talking about the wonders of killing our CWB. But these are not swaying public opinion.
Perhaps Prime Minister Harper can help by erecting signs exhorting western grain farmers to support the destruction of our Wheat Board. Since “Look out Iowa Cow” is already taken, how about “it’s all about freedom; sacrifice your income for the greater good?”
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