“Canada approved
China's biggest overseas energy acquisition, a $15.1 billion takeover by
state-owned CNOOC of Canadian oil and gas producer Nexen…” [4] CBS News, December 7, 2012
Hello Canadians! Were
you impressed by PM Stephen Harper’s early Christmas present to a State Owned
Enterprise (SOE) of Communist China? Do you feel good about part of your
country being given away and then described as a “net benefit” to Canada? Has
anybody seen the definition of “net benefit” explained? Do we have to ask the
Chinese to “explain” the “deal” as our Industry Minister told us to? [1] Were you impressed seeing Stephen
Harper at a news conference podium, inscribed with the words “A STRONG CANADA”?
Did you wonder how our country can be “strong” if we allow some of our
resources to be owned by a communist dictatorship? Is that not a sign of being
ethically challenged and morally weak? Still, “A STRONG CANADA” is an excellent
marketing slogan and no doubt most of the media fell for it. I did not hear any
of them asking how our land can be “strong” if we surrender our resources without
debate in parliament and ignore the people of this country, who according to a
poll were “73%” opposed. [2] Still,
we are told we live in a “democracy.” But are we seeing hypocrisy? PM Stephen
Harper is on record as saying this:
"I don't
think Canadians want us to sell out important Canadian values -- our belief in
democracy, freedom, human rights. They don't want us to sell that out to the
almighty dollar.'' -- Stephen Harper talking about relations with China in 2006
[3]
Then just the other day Stephen Harper says this:
"To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years
reducing ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments only to see
them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead.”[4]
Is our great leader
confused? He just approved a part of our country to be “bought and
controlled” by a “foreign” communist government. Still, he did say, “the
[Harper] government would only consider future takeover deals in the oil sands
by state-owned companies in exceptional circumstances.” [4] Gee, it gets curiouser and curiouser here in Tory Wonderland.
I wonder, what does “exceptional circumstances” mean? But hey, in Tory
Wonderland words can mean anything you want them to mean. It could be called a
BS marketing ploy or an attempt to baffle the people. Just make the words sound
good and all will be well. And it was. In fact, I heard a media panel on a
political show say they were in agreement with the communist SOE deal (as are
most other corporate mainstream media as well). Maybe this media “scrum” was
competing for an Order of Canada award or a Senate seat. Just kidding, but who knows?
Anyway, the “deal” is done and none of the “conservative”
MPs spoke out on opposition to this handover to a bloodthirsty communist
regime, though one keeps hearing some were against it. One would have thought
they would have had the moral courage to speak out and oppose it and the
undemocratic way it was done: No debate in parliament and no public
consultation. How can these “conservative” MPs look in the mirror at their own
faces without being disgusted with themselves? Does allegiance to Mr. Harper
mean more to them than allegiance to their country’s democratic tradition? Still, it is the season of goodwill and giving,
and I believe the Harper “conservatives” gave the Chinese Communists a
Christmas present from Canada
by approving the communist SOE deal. But, cheer up everybody: we are getting two
Pandas on loan so that should be a “net benefit” to us all. So Merry Christmas Canada!
Stephen J. Gray
December11, 2012.
Endnotes:
[2] http://www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/2012/12/almost-nobody-likes-the-nexen-deal-december-7-2012/
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